


It's a (new) Winchester's life

by skiing_pelican



Series: A Winchester's life [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Angst, Baby!Fic, Domestic, Drama, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Fluff, Het, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Slash, awesome!Sam, case!fic, girl!Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-01
Updated: 2012-10-01
Packaged: 2017-11-15 09:13:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 42,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/525662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skiing_pelican/pseuds/skiing_pelican
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We all know Dean really wants to have a family. When Gabriel finds out, he gives him the possibility to have one. While Dean deals with the weirdness of her crazy situation, her girly body, her absolutely not-girlieness, tremendous amount of girly sex, later a huge potbelly and an annoying teasing brother, Dean has to put up with Gabriel's trickster demeanor too.<br/>And if that wasn't enough, heaven has plans with Dean. Again.</p><p>Set approx. two years after a slightly AU finale of season 5 where Michael surprisingly decided to side with the Winchesters. AU from there on. Anna was revived. Dean/Cas established relationship with explicit scenes, Sam/Gabriel side pairing. Featuring lots of other Supernatural characters. Mostly fluffety fluff, schmoop and dripping sappyness, but with some seriously angsty bits in the later half. Baby!fic, no M!Preg.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Dean/Cas BigBang 2012 on Livejournal; A big thank you for oomnydevvotchka for the beta and rayneshine for the art! Please visit her art post at http://rayneshine.livejournal.com/1409.html to leave feedback! 
> 
> This fic is pure self-indulgence. I wanted a happy alternative to season six. I wanted to develop a verse that organically follows season 5, with an unique plot. I wanted to write a believable fem!Dean who is really still the Dean we know. I wanted to give them the chance to be happy and have a family without m!preg and without a totally ooc fem!Dean or fem!Cas. I wanted to give them time to develop, heal, and outgrow their issues. I wanted to incorporate all what I love about Destiel and Supernatural. Actually, this fic is only a snippet of all that I have planned – I grew fond of this verse, and it's probably not the last fic, as it only scratches the big main plot I have in mind. I hope I pull off all that I mentioned before, so please tell me what you think! Only with feedback I'm able to develop as writer ;)
> 
> I know reading Dean about Dean as “she” might set off some readers. Believe me, it was weird for me too at first. But I have my reasons for it, so please don't turn the fic down because of it, give it a chance. As my beta pointedly said, it's probably not supposed to feel comfortable.

 

  
_When the world goes down, you look into her eyes and see what wouldn't be possible,_   
_then you will understand about change._   
_Change is our fate._

_Michael, Stull Cemetery, 2010_

 

 

Dean relaxed on the hood of the Impala in Bobby's junkyard, thoughtfully looking up at the stars. He sipped on a beer, and although the night was calm and peaceful, his face was worried. The only disturbance was the shift in the air when Castiel appeared next to him.

"Is everything alright?" the angel asked.

Dean took another sip from his beer, still looking up at the stars. "Yeah. I was just thinking... With Michael sobering up and the apocalypse averted... With you and Gabe here, Bobby pushing us to find our own house... it seems like it's all over now."

Castiel sat down next to him silently.

"I can't believe it, though."

Castiel searched Dean's eyes. In Dean's short life, he had never had a break. He had never known peace like Castiel had.

"Good things do happen, Dean." Castiel stated solemnly.

Dean turned to glance at Cas. He still couldn't believe it, even if the proof was right in front of his nose. Yes, good things could happen, like Cas happened to him. But he still couldn't believe it was over. The other shoe would always drop. It was just a matter of time.

"Do you wish to settle down?" Castiel asked.

"I don't think I ever can." Dean answered, taking another sip from his beer. "There are still enough sons of bitches out there."

"But do you wish to, Dean?"

Dean thought for a moment. "Settling down... into an apple-pie life in an apple-pie house, like Ben and Lisa's. I don't know."

He sighed deeply. Something seemed to be wrong about it.

Castiel folded his hands. "I know you wish to have a family, Dean. I am sorry my vessel cannot provide you with one."

Dean stared at Cas in surprise. "I didn't even think about that!"

"My apologies if I assumed wrong."

"No, you didn't!" Dean suddenly admitted and grabbed Cas arm. His mouth went on auto-pilot, words falling out that he never intended to say out loud.

"It's just, I never thought about that. But a family with you would be pretty awesome..."

Cas smiled at him. Dean let go of Cas' arm. He didn't know what had made him say that. It was the truth, but thinking about it hurt in his chest. A family... that's what he really dreamed of. That's what would be missing in the apple-pie life in the apple-pie house. He wanted a family with Cas, but that simply wasn't possible. First, Cas was a man. Or at least, his vessel was a man. And second, he was an angel. He didn't even know if angels could have babies, let alone if it really would be Cas' baby and not Jimmy's. And on top of it all, he wouldn't want a baby to suffer in the insanity that was his life. Damn this chick-flick-moment that brought up unknown wishes.

"Fuck." he muttered and slipped from the car. He needed harder stuff to drown these thoughts. He couldn't have it anyway.

"Dean?" Cas asked, worried, but the hunter stomped to the house, ignoring him.

Dean sat down in Bobby's study and grabbed a bottle of liquor. Cas followed him, but stopped at the door frame. He didn't understand what happened to make Dean angry.

"Dean, did I do something wrong?" Cas asked. He tilted his head to the side in concern, an insecure frown wrinkling his forehead.

Dean set the liquor down after pouring himself a shot. He smiled up at Cas, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "No Cas, everything's all right," he said and downed the shot. "You should probably go and find out what Sam or Bobby are doing."

Cas said nothing, only fixed Dean with one of his stares. Gabriel appeared next to him and poked him in the ribs. Cas didn't flinch in the slightest.

"Stop doing that, Gabriel." he scolded with his ever deep voice, not even looking at Gabriel. Gabriel just smirked at him, crossed his arms and looked at Dean.

"So... what's this about, huh?" he asked. "Let me guess, Dean is a stubborn mule and won't tell you what's bugging him."

"He won't." Cas said, "We were in the junkyard, speaking about..."

"That is none of your business, Gabe!" Dean interrupted, growling angrily at the archangel. "Why do you keep talking to him anyway?" he complained at Cas.

Castiel frowned, even more concerned. Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"Cassie is my favorite baby brother, genius! I know he acts like he doesn't know a single being in creation, but damn, we shared things ages before you and Sam were born. Literally!"

Dean still glowered at Gabe and downed another shot.

"So, what were you talking about, Cassie?" Gabe asked again. He still had his arms crossed, pretending he didn't really care, as always, but Cas knew Gabe was there for him.

"I was apologizing that my vessel cannot provide a family." Cas said quietly. Thanks to his deep voice, the words carried enough to reached Dean. Dean downed another shot, angrily slamming the glass on the table, jaw set in frustration.

"That so?" Gabriel asked with his trademark smirk. He clicked his fingers. "Well... I shouldn't mess with you, since your vessel is connected with your grace and everything, but if Dean wants a family..."

Castiel slowly turned his head to face Dean. Dean was staring back at them, the glass in her hand half way frozen on the way to her lips.

"Dean?" Castiel asked with a tilt of his head as he went over to Dean.

"Oh, my, you all don't need to thank me so much!" Gabriel exclaimed, his grin spanning from one ear to the other. "Well, I'll leave you two to it. You've got a baby to make, after all!"

"What's that talkin' 'bout a baby?" a grumpy voice sounded from the kitchen.

"Huh?" Sam's voice could also be heard. A moment later, the other two hunters stood in the door frame, next to a smirking Gabriel and stared. Sam rubbed his eyes and opened them again, only to find that the sight hadn't changed.

Dean was still sitting at Bobby's desk, the glass in her hand forgotten, staring at Cas because she was too afraid to look at herself.

"Now look what we have here." Bobby commented. "Ain't there anythin' tha' angel of yours can't do, Sam?"

"Is that really Dean?" Sam asked slowly. "I mean, he...she sure looks like him, but..."

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "He's still your brother- oh, sorry, I mean she is still your sister, you should be able to recognize her!" He took another look at Dean before he added with a suggestive wiggle of eyebrows "A hot sister!"

"Dude, that's my brother you're talking about!" Sam complained, bitch-facing Gabriel.

Dean finally had the strength to look down. Boobs! She slowly raised her hands and grabbed her own boobs incredulously. Her expression varied from confused to horrified to amazed and back. Slowly, the wheels in her head turned, trying to grasp what happened.

"Sam, I have boobs!" she suddenly blurted out with a maniacal look on her face. Then she noticed the sound of her voice. Her throat was suddenly dry. Terrified, Dean didn't dare to speak again.

"Oh my god..." Sam muttered frowning, but smiled.

Bobby rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "Well Dean, you're a girl now, that's what comes with the package. You ain't got a dick anymore..."

"I guess?" he added, looking at Gabriel for reassurance.

Gabriel made a playful huffy face. "Hey, when I screw with people I do it right!"

Dean's eyes went wide as moons as she stared down at her pants. She was slowly, but surely freaking out. Her jeans were too big now, hanging down loosely from her legs. Dean reached down with one hand and found something was missing. A horrified expression took over her face.

"Dean." Castiel tried to regain her attention.

Gabriel sensed what his brother was up to and pushed the others out of the room. "I think Cassie and Deanna have some talking to do."

"So, that idjit really wants to be a mom?" Bobby asked in the hallway after the door closed behind them. Sam mirrored his puzzled expression.

"I don't know." Gabriel shrugged. "I kinda tossed them into the cold water with this. But that's the best chance they get for having a family, right?"

Sam's eyes got all feely. "That could be the best thing you've ever done for us, Gabe!"

"Oh boy." Bobby muttered and hurried out of ear range before the boy could embarrass himself even more.

"Oh, no biggie." Gabe said, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. Sam gathered him and pulled him up to a kiss, and with a snap of fingers, they were in their upstairs room.

 

* * *

 

"Dean, this could be your chance for a family." Cas said softly, patiently searching Dean's eyes. "Our chance for a family."

"Right... It's just... weird. Even by our standards." Dean's hands were on her boobs again. She still couldn't believe they were there. This was all so screwed.

"Cas, I don't know... I... I have to think about it... I don't know what to think about it, I don't know if I could even pull it off."

Dean hesitated. The sound of her voice was familiar. It still had that rough edge, but it was much higher than she was used to. It sounded a little like the abused voice of a jazz singer who smoked too much. It also reminded her faintly of the voice she used to have as a boy.

Castiel took her hand and dropped down to his knees in front of her to be closer. "Take your time, Dean. However you decide, I will respect your decision and help you in any way possible."

Dean looked down at her angel.

"You've never said if you want a family." she probed hesitantly.

Castiel smiled. "I do want it, Dean, very much. I have rebelled and I have fallen for you." His voice dropped even deeper as he continued. "And I have always marveled at the gift my father granted your kind. The gift to create life. I never even dared to dream I would get this chance."

Castiel's words went straight to Dean's heart. She fought back the tears that were forming in her eyes. So many emotions were swirling in her head, making her stomach knot, tearing her apart on the inside. But she was still unable to admit or express the depth of what she was feeling for Cas. With all that burning inside her, barely held together, she only looked down at Cas, staring into his eyes for a ridiculous amout of time.

"Cas..." Dean finally managed, her voice almost breaking. "Would it even be yours? This isn't your real body, after all."

"It will." Cas answered solemnly. "The body will be created of Jimmy's DNA, but what matters is the soul. Jimmy's soul has long left this body. The child's soul will be a product of my grace and your soul."

"How can you be so sure?" Dean asked.

"I can't." Cas answered hesitantly. "There are rumors that there were Nephilim before, but we don't know for sure."

Dean frowned, considering this information. The situation, fuck, her whole life was fucked up enough as it was. And who knew what kind of baby they would have, if not even Cas could tell?

"Gabriel will help us should any problems arise." Castiel added.

Dean sighed. "Cas I..."

"Dean. You should rest. This is a serious decision; you should take your time to consider it. I will respect whatever decision you make."

"Okay." Dean smiled. She leaned down to kiss her angel. He was so perfect and understanding right now. The love she felt for him seemed ridiculous to her and she felt like a teenager with her first crush. With the only difference being that this was much deeper. But she didn't say a word about it.

"Hey," she suddenly blurted "do you still like me?"

"I don't understand." Castiel tilted his head confused.

"Oh well, I was a dude before, now I'm a girl. Doesn't that weird you out? Do you even like girls?"

Castiel smiled. "You are still attractive. Gender has no real meaning to me."

"It weirds me out for sure."

The theoretical talk about angel babies and Cas' pure sweetness had taken Dean's thoughts off the fact that she was a girl for the time being. She had not yet dared to think about what would be necessary to make a baby. Only thinking about it made her freak out. She jumped when Cas laid a hand on her thigh, close to the spot where something that should be there was not there. Dean already missed her dick incredibly.

'I can't fuck him anymore!' suddenly occurred to her. She stared down at her boyfriend, eyes widened in terror. The wheels in her brain turned on mercilessly, delivering the next terrifying fact. She had a vagina.

Dean Winchester, manliest man on the whole planet, had his dick replaced with a vagina.

"I hate Gabriel!" Dean bolted, jumped up and rushed up to the bathroom adjoining her and Cas' room. Even moving with this body felt different - she almost tripped over the stairs. Cas followed, surprised by her sudden mood swing.

Dean locked the door behind her and stripped completely. She stared at her form in the bathroom mirror. She didn't recognize it as her body at all. It was all wrong, and weird, and there were no words to describe how uncomfortable she felt in it.

Awkwardly, she touched the unfamiliar curves of her body with the slender tips of her fingers. The skin was smooth, almost hairless and deliciously soft. The most curious thing was that all her freckles were in exactly the right spots on the wrong body. Somehow, feeling the touches on her skin helped her grasp that this was now her body. But it still felt wrong. Her fingers trailed down, stroking the smooth skin lightly where her happy trail had been, and further down... Her breath hitched and her body shuddered as she touched a sensitive spot. It felt so wrong. It felt so awkward, wrong but good at the same time. A weird pull spread through the lower part of her body, a strange sensation she couldn't quite place. Her brain swirled. This was too much for her. She retrieved her fingers in shock, and stared at her flushed face in the mirror. She didn't recognize it as her face. The same mossy green eyes stared back at her through thick lashes, but from a face that belonged to someone else. She felt like she was looking at a stranger instead of a reflection. She pulled back, grabbed her boxers and T-shirt and rushed to slip them on.

As she finally went out of the bathroom, Cas was standing there, waiting for her.

"Let's just hit the hay." Dean suggested and rushed to the bed. She didn't want to think about this mess anymore.

Castiel lay down next to her and spooned up, wrapping an arm around her slim waist and placing a soft kiss on her neck. His touch was comforting, but Dean couldn't really calm down. Dean tried to ignore how Cas' arm draped around her waist felt so different. She was even tempted to remove his arm, something she would normally never do, but she knew the weird feeling wouldn't disappear. Exhausted by the long day, Dean slipped into sleep much faster that she had expected.

* * *

Dean woke up early. The familiar weight of Cas' arm lay on her belly. She smiled in his direction as she slowly opened her eyes. He was awake, watching her sleep, as always. Dean had long ago stopped wondering if the angel had nothing better to do than to watch her the whole night. It had been weird at first, but Dean felt protected. She didn't have any nightmares when Cas was with her. She would never admit that she enjoyed it now and didn't like sleeping without her stalker angel watching over her anymore.

"Good morning, Dean." He smiled at her and leaned over to place a soft kiss on her lips.

"G'mornin' Cas." she muttered sleepily. Abruptly, she was wide awake and jolted up. The weirdness of her own voice reminded her of what had happened the other day. She swung her legs out of the bed and rushed straight into the bathroom. She splashed cold water in her face and looked into the mirror. Her face looked a tiny bit more familiar than the night before. She sighed deeply, taking a moment to breathe and concentrate. The sleep had helped her calm down. The second look in the mirror, curiously, didn't freak her out as much as before. She was now more on the level of simply accepting the weirdness. That didn't mean she had to like it, but she could look at herself more calmly. Dean once again stared at her features, analyzing them in a scientific, detached way. Actually, she looked good, she concluded. Very good. To tell the truth, she looked like the damn hottest chick in town!

Suddenly, it clicked in Dean's head and she realized that this was her body now. She was no longer looking at a stranger, she was looking at herself. It was still feeling all kinds of weird, but the first step was taken. Slowly, a smile spread on her face. The girl in the mirror smiled back, and it looked so much like Dean's trademark smirk that her grin even grew.

* * *

Sam yawned and rubbed his sleepy eyes as he stumbled down into the kitchen. He found a short haired girl standing in front of the coffee pot. In an instant, adrenaline pumped through his system and he grabbed one of the shotguns that where hidden everywhere in Bobby's house.

"Who are you and what are you doing in here!" he yelled at the girl, pointing the shotgun at her head. The woman nearly dropped the coffee pot and jolted around.

"Dude, it's me! Dean! Gabriel screwed with me last night, remember?"

Sam groaned and put the shotgun back. "Sorry. It's too early."

The woman smirked in a perfect Dean way and offered him a cup of coffee. Sam gave his brother-sister-whatever a once over and chuckled awkwardly. It seemed wrong to see the body of a girl dressed like this if she wasn't his girlfriend. Dean's boxers hung loosely on her hips, the otherwise too large t-shirt was tight at her boobs, and her limbs were slender, less hairy and... girly.

"I think you need new stuff." he said, and concentrated on his coffee to avoid staring at his brother too closely.

"I think I need a bra..." Dean murmured, with a mixed expression on her face.

Sam nearly choked on his coffee.

"Never mind." Dean said. She was so not telling her brother about all the weird girly things she would need now.

"So," Sam said, setting down his coffee. "Do you know what to do now? Are Cas and you...you know... trying it?" Sam stumbled over the words. The thought of what Cas and Dean would have to do was... gross. But Sam wanted to know anyway.

"No, I've got no idea how to deal with this shit!" Dean exclaimed angrily. "Hell, I don't even know if I want a family, with all this shit we're dealing with every day! The poor kid could get all kinds of screwed!"

"Calm down, ya idjit!" Bobby grumbled from the door. He stomped into the kitchen and took a cup of coffee.

"I'll tell ya somethin' kid, if ya like it or not: First, nobody is forcing anythin' on ya. Second, it's calm right now. You could get out. Hell, I've never seen anyone with better chances before! Most hunters don't even get one! An' besides, the damn daddy of the kid will be an angel! If anyone can keep your family safe, it's Cas, an' you know it. So I'll tell you what ya gonna do, ya gonna get fuckin' knocked up and get yourself a family! I want to have grandchildren, for christ's sake! I'm sure ya can handle nine months as a woman!"

At the end of his speech, he patted Dean's shoulder. "An' don't ya dare fuck this up, boy, 'cause you an' Cas, that's as happy as I've seen any hunter get. We all know you're head over heels for that boy."

Dean and Sam were both stunned into silence. Bobby was right and they knew it. Of course Sam and Bobby noticed how much Dean really cared for Cas. She was still reserved when it came to admitting feelings or touching in public, but Sam and Bobby knew her well enough to know she was totally whipped. All three knew Bobby meant much more when he said "head over heels".

Dean finally cleared her throat. "Okay... you finished, Bobby?"

"Yeah. Just think about it." Bobby said seriously, pointing a warning finger at her.

Sam grinned. To him, it was only a matter of time until Dean would give in. The only obstacle was that Dean would really have to spend almost a year as a girl.

"Hey, why don't we ask Gabriel to let your hair grow?" Sam teased, "You look kind of weird with the old Dean-style!"

Dean glared at him.

"Hey, that's a good idea!" Gabriel exclaimed cheerfully, strolling into the kitchen. He clicked his fingers, and Dean had long, brown hair falling down on her shoulders.

"You're so going to regret that." Dean grumbled, sending a death glare in Gabriel's direction.

* * *

Dean groaned. They had arrived at the local shopping mall. Bobby had lent her some of his wife's old stuff for the trip, but she didn't like wearing dead people's clothes. She needed some new ones, and thus the trip to the shopping mall was a necessary evil.

"Hey, while we're at it, we should grab some clothes for wanna-be-moms!" Sam teased.

This was going to be a long shopping trip.

"First, undies." Dean decided.

Sam looked at her, a goofy grin barely suppressed on his features. "Do you even know what size you have?"

"32 C." Dean knew instantly.

Sam frowned. "How can you be so sure?"

"Well," Dean grinned and grabbed her boobs again, "call it my specialty."

Sam rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, no Sams and Gabes permitted." Dean grinned. "Besides, it would be weird if I had three dudes looking over my shoulder while I chose hot stuff."

"What would be wrong with it?" Castiel asked quite oblivious.

Gabriel laughed out loud and patted his brother's shoulder. "Because people would think we all fuck Dean!"

"Shout it out louder, not everyone in the fucking parking lot heard it!" Sam snapped. He was horrified by the mental picture.

"I see." Castiel responded calmly. "May I join Dean, or would that be weird too?"

Dean grabbed his tie. "You are required to join me!" she grinned and dragged him along.

Her body still felt all kinds of weird, but it would be a shame not to wear steaming hot undies on a steaming hot body, now, wouldn't it?

"Oh, and call me Deanna when we're in public, ok?"

* * *

The woman in the lingerie boutique was quite amused by the pile gathered in the arms of the resolute woman in her store. She shoved a collection of bras in the arms of her quiet boyfriend. It seemed as if she was in for some major restocking. Her boyfriend looked at the bras as if he did not know what purpose they served. 'Maybe he's her brother and still a virgin...' the clerk pondered. But she was smiling nice and helpful and didn't react in any way to the weirdness of the couple.

Dean had way too much fun in the boutique. She was grinning like mad as she looked at the lace, silk and satin and imagined it on a hot chick. It was weird, though, that she would be the hot chick wearing them. But at the same time, she was really excited. And the best part was yet to come. She finally took everything out of Cas' arms and disappeared into a changing room. After a short moment, she moved the curtain aside so that Cas could look at her.

"How's that?" she asked, grinning suggestively. She tried to stand in what she thought would be a seductive pose, but didn't quite pull it off. But no matter how feeble her attempts were, the sight of her curvy body covered in suggestive lingerie with just the right amount of coverage made Cas' blue eyes go wide in awe.

"I like that." Cas deadpanned.

Dean chuckled. This was as good as she expected. She disappeared behind the curtain and tried other things.

'Obviously not her brother.' the sales clerk pondered, 'This girl is not shy at all. Well, I probably wouldn't be if I had her hips...'

Dean finally emerged from the shop with a large shopping bag in her hands. She grinned broadly and Cas trailed behind her with a slight blush on his cheeks. Gabriel grinned.

"Dean-o, what are you doing with my bro? Public sex? You're corrupting him!"

"We..." Cas paused, "did not engage in coitus... here." His ears were slowly turning a dark shade of red.

"Yeah, yeah, I don't believe you!" Gabriel exclaimed, laughing, knowing very well his brother had not lied. "But you should learn how to talk! It's called fucking!"

Castiel glared at him. Sam gaped, staring at his boyfriend in shock. Dean was only slightly annoyed. A random grandmother covered the ears of a little girl with her hands. And Gabriel was enjoying their reactions. "Oh, come on, she'll fuck when she is older!" he said to the Grandmother. "And I really hope you've had a lot of fucking, or I would be very sorry for you!"

"Gabriel, that's enough." Sam said, with the most serious bitch-face he could manage.

"Hey, I'm only talking about the most normal thing in the world here!" Gabriel complained, still smirking.

"Yeah, whatever." Dean grumbled, "Let's get this over with."

The rest of the shopping trip was boring Dean out of her skull. Sam and Gabe's constant teasing and Cas' obliviousness about friggin' everything in the store were tearing on her nerves.

"Hey, why don't you try this one?" Sam asked, chuckling, holding up a shiny pink mini skirt with ruffles.

"Hey, I might be in a different body, but I'm still a dude up here!" Dean complained, pointing at her head. "And there is no fucking way I'm wearing a skirt!"

"Why not?" Gabriel chimed in. "They are quite comfy."

Everyone except Castiel stared at him in shock. "How the fuck do you know?" Dean demanded.

"You think I was in this vessel all the time? Yeah, I've been wearing him a long time now, but I had a girl vessel once." he explained.

"Huh." Dean said.

"Is he still in there?" Sam asked, concerned.

"Hell no. Dead for centuries."

Sam was clearly relieved.

When Sam and Gabriel were not looking, Dean hid a skirt in the pile anyway. Just out of pure curiosity. But of course, not the awful pink one. It was a short hot black one.

* * *

The shopping trip went on, as they had to get a lot of new stuff for Dean. Gabriel came up time after time with new things that Dean and Sam wouldn't even have thought about. And explained some of them in much more detail than any of the brothers ever cared to know. At some point or the other, Dean needed to relieve herself. She went right into the restroom, not taking a second thought about it.

"Hi Sam" she said as she passed him without looking, heading for the booths.

"Uhm, De...anna?" Sam asked. "Don't you think you're wrong here?"

Dean stopped and turned to look around. All the guys were staring at her, and some hurried to close their pants.

"Sorry." she muttered and hurried out of the bathroom, blushing and embarrassed. Sam only shook his head and grinned.

Dean stopped in front of the door that parted the mystery that was the woman restrooms from the rest of the mall. It felt wrong to go in there. She still was a dude after all. Hesitantly, she opened the door and stepped inside. Two girls where standing in front of a large mirror and chatting, while one of them applied some lipstick.

"And you won't believe what he said!"

"What?"

"He said: I have to show you my cool new car. And he wiggled his eyebrows in this, I want to have sex with you! way. I mean seriously, he's absolutely not getting in my pants because he has an old-timer!"

"Men are so stupid! Only thinking with their dicks!"

"Yeah. And he was so proud of this Impala or what's it called."

Dean felt kicked in her guts. She quickly passed the two girls to get her business done. Which was a whole new kind of weird, but some part of her brain just accepted that everything was different now and she just dealt with it without freaking out. Or without freaking out too much.

Sam was waiting and talking to Castiel when she got out again. The moment Dean stepped out, a stupid grin was directed in her direction. Sam was enjoying all this way too much. Figures the bitch would take immense pleasure in playing dress-up with Dean as his personal doll. She reached out angrily to slap Sam hard, to wipe that stupid grin off his face, but her arm was shorter than she was used to, and only the tips of her fingers brushed lightly over Sam's shoulder. Sam broke into a fit of barking laughter.

"Dude, you just bitch-slapped me!" he exclaimed, laughing so hard that tears were welling up in his eyes. Cas just looked from Sam to Dean and back, the humor of the situation completely lost on him.

"Shut up, Bitch!" Dean barked and stepped nearer to punch Sam on the shoulder. She hit him hard this time, but Sam still couldn't hold back his laughter and just rubbed the sore spot with his hand.

"I'm not the one dealing out bitch-slaps!" Sam insisted, nearly doubling over with laughter.

She huffed, ignored Sam and went on. She was never going to live this down. And she really wanted this shopping trip to get over with.

* * *

It was already getting dark when they were finally finished and arrived back at Bobby's. Dean went up with her new stuff to change immediately. She really didn't feel good about wearing the stuff of a dead woman. When she was finished and looked at herself in the mirror, she was slightly more at ease with the weirdness that was her body. She wore a simple black T-shirt (they couldn't find any with band prints in the mall), a long sleeved button-down shirt and some fitting, but not too tight jeans. She sighed. At least her eyes were the same. Her face was also still familiar. The constant beard stubble was gone and her features appeared finer, but it was still the same face. Even if it looked girly.

'Can I really pull this off? Be a mom?' she asked herself. 'Can I raise a kid and protect it from all the fuckers out there? Can I keep my kid from being screwed up by our life?'

Bobby was right, this was her chance to have a family. She pulled her shirt up to look at her boobs again. It was gonna take steaming hot girl sex to be a mom in the first place. She was curious, to say the least. It'  
was gonna be weird, but Dean was suddenly feeling adventurous.

She locked the door to her room, stripped down to her undies, lay down on her bed and prayed. "Cas?"

It didn't need more. The angel was instantly standing next to her bed. His eyes went wide again as he took in her delicate figure, only covered with a bit of lace. Dean grinned and reached up to him. Cas didn't need more invitation to sit down next to her and to lean over her to capture her lips. That part didn't feel much different, Dean pondered, sinking into the kiss.

'Oh, that does feel different' she wondered, when Cas slung his arm around her slim waist and pressed her close. As if her waist was made for an arm to drape around it. Her body arched automatically as Cas pressed her close.

Cas looked deeply into her green eyes. "Are you sure you want it?"

"Yeah, of course. Man, how many dudes can try this?"

Cas rested a hand on her belly. "You want to conceive?"

"Oh...uh. No, not yet. I haven't figured it all out just yet."

Cas backed away reluctantly.

"Hey, where you think you're going?" Dean complained.

"Until you want to conceive, or until you are a man again, we should not..."

"Don't say engage in coitus." Dean chuckled.

"...fuck." Castiel closed pointedly, smirking slightly.

Dean smiled and shook her head. Nobody had explained that to him yet?

"There is something called protection, Cas. It will keep me from getting pregnant and we can still fuck."

A smile spread on Cas face, and he moved back closer to her again.

"I have never done it with a woman." he admitted.

"I know. That's something we have to take care of, don't we?" Dean grinned mischievously. "We'll figure it out."

Cas' arm wrapped around her waist again and he gently kissed her neck. Dean felt him fumbling with the fastener of her bra. She moved her hands to help him, but her fingers were more in his way than a help. She knew just perfectly how to flip a bra open on some random chick, but she hadn't gotten the hang of it for herself just yet. She laughed a bit when they finally managed to get the damn thing off. It took them nearly as long as it had taken Dean to get it on, which was way too long.

"You're wearing too many damn layers." Dean complained. Cas captured her lips for another heated kiss, she felt the air shift around them and bare skin was pressing against her. Normally, she didn't like it when Cas just mojoed them off, but right now they were both too impatient to fumble with too many buttons, so it was okay. Cas was slowly, but surely developing a sense for when he was allowed to go the faster way.

"That's better." She grinned when Castiel released her again. She still thought it was a crime to wear so many damn layers if you had such a delicate, lithe body beneath it.

Cas pulled back to look at her exposed breasts. Dean's breath hitched as he covered a breast with his hand. Wow, they were sensitive! Keeping his hand on her breast, he leaned forward again to nip the skin of her collarbone.

"You smell different," Cas muttered and placed another kiss, "taste different too."

"Different, but good." He added, with his deep, husky bedroom voice. Dean could get hard from that voice alone. Except, she couldn't technically get hard anymore, but she felt her body react. She was feeling all tingly between her legs and...wet. It was all kinds of weird, to say the least.

Cas moved gently, exploring her new body with awe. Dean was thankful for it, and happily let Cas take the lead for now. Cas carefully watched her as he began to massage her breast. With each time he touched her, a tingle raced through her body. Each touch felt so different, but yet so familiar at the same time. It was now that she didn't only realize that this was her body, but also accepted it. And she wanted this body, her body, to be touched.

Dean kissed him. "You know, I'm still not out of sugar, babe." Dean teased. Her body was aching for more, she wanted to feel more of Cas, to feel him everywhere. She took one of Cas hands and guided it down between her legs and moaned loudly when Cas touched her pleasure spot. She had no idea what to expect.

Cas removed his hand, but only long enough to get rid of the last bit of clothing that was still in their way. Dean's panty went flying through the room. Cas' hand was back again immediately, and he went on by instinct, watching Dean's reactions to see what she liked. Cas kissed his way down over her breasts and further down, lingering a moment at her belly button before he reached the spot where his hands already worked dirty moans out of Dean. Dean gasped when she suddenly felt a hot tongue intrude between her legs. Dean was soon squirming under Cas' attention and moaning loud, finally crying out Cas' name as she came, her whole body trembling.

"Oh my god Cas..." Dean gasped, panting heavily. Cas pulled up to her and gathered her in his arms.

"No, I'm still just an angel." Cas huffed, annoyed.

"Sorry." Dean grinned. She felt his length press hard against her leg. Any other man would be touching himself now. But Cas, the saint, didn't.

She reached down to stroke his length and bent over to kiss Cas. He tasted odd, different, and it took her a moment to realize that was her new taste. She had no idea how long she would need to recover, now that she was a girl, but she wouldn't let him get away without a treat.

"I love you." Cas said, gazing deeply into her eyes with his brilliant blue ones. Her heart swelled and she nearly forgot to continue stroking him. In moments like this, she wondered what she had done to deserve this. Her own guardian angel lover. He would always be there, and if he ever died, she could still pester at Gabriel to pester at Michael to bring him back. If Gabriel wasn't able to bring him back all by himself.

"I love you too." She whispered quietly into his ear and pulled back to look into his eyes. The three little words seemed too small for all that she was really feeling. A flock of little butterflies seemed to be making wild dances in her belly, screwing around in it. She lost herself in his eyes again, as it always happened so easily. It dawned on her in that moment that Cas would truly be there for her forever, and for a child. He would do everything in his power to protect the little one.

"You know what, fuck protection! Let's make a baby!" she exclaimed suddenly. Cas' eyes lit up with utter happiness, and Dean could see how much the angel himself wanted this. Cas grabbed her neck and pulled her into a loving, passionate kiss.

It didn't take her body any more time to recover. The kisses heated up fast, Cas' mouth and hands roaming demandingly over her body. She felt his cock twitch in her hand. Cas moaned, frustrated, when she let go of his cock and pulled back from him. He stared at her with lustful blown eyes, dark with intent and clearly disapproving her withdrawal.

But it was not Dean's intention to stop now. She pushed him back into the mattress and climbed on top of him. Straddling his hips with hers, she sat down slowly on his cock, carefully guiding the hard shaft into her. It felt so weird, but good at the same time. She could simply take all of him at once, no need for slow and gentle probing, no need for lube. She let out a satisfied moan and delved in the feeling of him in her slick new hole. Slowly and testing, she rolled her hips and tried rocking back and forth a bit, feeling him deep within her. Cas groaned in pleasure beneath her and it made her even more wet than she was already. She rocked forth and back, finding a rhythm to settle in.

Cas sat up, shifting their position so she ended up sitting in his lap, still filled with him. He groaned and captured her mouth for another heated kiss. His arms wrapped around her, grinding her more into him as she pushed down against him. Dean wrapped her arms around him, digging her hands into his ruffled dark hair. They were as so close to each other as they could possibly be. They rocked together, with their bodies pressed against each other, capturing each other's lips or biting down at the soft flesh of the neck, until Cas pressed her head into the crook of his neck. Dean caught a glimpse of light and immediately closed her eyes as Cas groaned out her name as he came inside her, rocking through it until Dean came also.

Panting heavily, they kept sitting entangled with each other. Cas was still in her and so close to her, with her boobs pressed against his chest. Dean's head rested against Cas' neck, and he was caressing the nape of her neck tenderly.

"Huh, I'm a chick now..." Dean suddenly said.

Castiel pulled back to look at her and tilted his head in confusion. "You have been for a day now."

"I know. But you know, I don't feel much different. My body is weird, but I'm still ticking the same way up here. I think."

"I do not really understand the difference." Cas admitted.

"I know. But Sam's still the bigger girl, even if I am the one with boobs!"

"Come down ya idjits, grub's ready!" Bobby's yell suddenly sounded through the house, completely scattering the tenderness of the moment.

The smell of fresh food caught Dean's attention. "We should get clean and down before they eat our share!"

They shared another tender kiss before they moved apart reluctantly.

Collecting her panty from the lamp it had landed on, Dean was slightly annoyed as she found Cas standing there with all those layers on again when she turned back.

"No." she said matter-of-factly and went over to strip Cas' upper half. He watched her, confused. "Wear this." she said, tossing one of her old male t-shirts at him. It was a little too big, but far better than the dress-shirt-suit-tie-trench coat combo. Even when she had to admit, the tie came in handy from time to time. She lingered a moment, looking at him.

"I'm as tall as you now." Dean realized. It was even easier to get lost in his eyes.

"We should get you some jeans the next time we go shopping." she finally shrugged, picked up her stuff and went for a quick shower.

* * *

Bobby had been cooking his famous chili. Even Gabriel waited impatiently. Being an angel, he didn't really need food, but his was still the biggest mouth to feed.

"Hey, I'm still growing!" he exclaimed at Sam's incredulous look at his enormous plate.

Sam rolled his eyes and concentrated on his own serving.

"You're such a big child." Bobby grumbled. "I always wondered," he continued, "how many of them legends about tricksters have grown on your pile of dirt? We all see your fondness for sweets, but you don't really need them, being an angel an' all."

"That will always remain a mystery." Gabriel said, and wiggled his eyebrows.

Sam groaned. "Gabe, honey... don't say that word."

"Which one?" Gabriel asked obliviously.

"Mystery. It reminds me of the mystery spot."

Gabriel's mouth formed a silent o of understanding.

"I still don't understand how you could forgive him for that one." Bobby grumbled and shrugged, "But hey, that's none of my business."

"Hey, I was trying to teach him a lesson! Good intentions an' all!"

"Oh yeah? It wasn't funny to see my brother dying over and over again!" Sam snapped.

"Well, it takes some harsh tricks to get something into that big, stubborn mule head of yours." Gabriel shrugged nonchalantly. "Believe me, I've seen it all. I've been around a long time. But no, we don't believe the trickster 'cause he's an evil monster."

Dean and Cas entered the room just that moment to find Sam staring, hurt, at Gabriel, Gabriel not noticing anything because he was concentrating on his plate and Bobby looking uncomfortable in his own house.

Bobby was somewhat glad to be distracted by Castiel's unusual appearance. He gave the angel a quick once over.

"Hmpf. Never thought he'd be such a slim boy under all those layers." he commented.

"Finally!" Gabriel exclaimed "What did you do to get him to change his stuff, Dean? Fuck him?"

"Actually, yes." Dean grinned and pulled the chili pan closer to her plate.

Sam stared at her, trying to wrap the giant computer, also called his brain, around his brother having girl-sex with his/her boyfriend. It didn't compute.

"I don't understand why my clothing is of any importance." Cas deadpanned.

"You should get him some jeans." Bobby suggested, ignoring everyone else on the table.

"Yeah, I know. You got some he can borrow? Mine are too big." Dean asked.

Bobby glanced at Castiel. "Hell no. Get him his own stuff. Besides, he looks more like Gabriel's size."

"I'm not giving him anything!" Gabriel chimed in.

"Why don't you mojo something?" Sam asked.

"Now, where would the fun in that be?" Gabriel asked and crossed his arms. "I'm not your happy mojo machine for every little shit you need!"

Castiel cleared his throat. The deep, rumbling sound got the attention of everyone in an instant.

"We have something more important to discuss." Castiel stated. He covered Dean's hand with his own in a gesture he had learned from her, even though Dean never used it in public. The small gesture was not lost on the others on the table, but they knew better than to comment on it. Dean looked as if she didn't know if she should withdraw her hand or not.

"Dean and I have..."

"Don't say: engaged in coitus." Gabriel laughed. "We've all noticed that. Can't you keep yourself together, Cassie? Always need to make the show with all the lights flickering and everything?"

"And you haven't stopped the lights from flickering." Sam snapped at his boyfriend.

"Why should I?" Gabriel asked.

Dean looked horrified. She hadn't known that anything happened besides Cas' grace peeking out. Now that she thought about it, it was quite obvious it had to.

"It's true, boy." Bobby muttered.

"That was not what I was going to say." Castiel grumbled, glaring at his brother. "I was going to say: Dean and I have reached a decision."

"Yeah!" Dean blurted out, "We are going to have a baby, guys!"

"That's great!" Sam grinned. Bobby smiled. Gabriel smirked knowingly. They didn't seem surprised at all, but nonetheless happy about the news.

"And there is still nobody thanking me for this!" Gabriel sighed in an offended fuss.

"Hey, I thanked you!" Sam snapped. Sometimes he had the feeling Gabriel didn't really notice him.

"Hm, okay, thank you Gabe." Dean admitted grumpily. "That's pretty awesome. But I'm not saying this twice, so remember it good."

"Thank you, brother." Cas deadpanned.

"See? Wasn't so bad now, was it?" Gabriel smirked self-satisfied.

Bobby suddenly took Dean's beer bottle away.

"Hey, I was still drinking that!" Dean complained.

"No, you ain't!" Bobby scolded. "If you're having a baby, you'd better stop drinking sooner than later or I'll hit ya idjit head so hard it flies!"

Dean glared at Bobby for a second, but didn't protest. Cas touched two fingers to her forehead and she felt a familiar wave of healing energy flowing through her body, clearing her of any remnants of her long history of alcohol abuse. She met his eyes but neither of them commented on it. Then she stared down at her empty plate. She was full already after only one serving. Everyone was finished with their chili now, and Gabriel clicked his fingers. Everything was cleaned up in an instant and a huge tower of sweets was standing in the middle of the table. Dean caught sight of an apple crumble pie and reached for it immediately. There was always room for some pie.


	2. Chapter 2

  


As the days went by, Dean got more and more used to being a girl. Sam pestered her with a huge amount of jokes, teasing her on every occasion. When Sam's jokes where particularly bad, Dean usually gave him the finger and said: "I'm a chick, but you're a bitch!"

  


Much to Dean's exasperation, Cas started wearing his blasted suit-tie-trench coat combo again after the next time he got naked. Dean could try to talk to him as much as she liked, but Cas just didn't get it into his angel brain to change for any other reason than when Dean commanded him to.

  


The family got used to Dean's changed appearance and voice very quickly. It was easy to forget about it since Dean still acted and talked the same way. She even moved the same way, the same broad legged manly stroll she always had. At first, her depth-perception and movements were a bit off, causing her to stumble or be clumsy from time to time. But she got used to her shorter limbs and lower eye level quite fast. It still happened that one of them would freak out (except Castiel) because Dean was doing something particularly girly, like catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror before going out the door. Most times, Dean didn't even notice when she was behaving in a "girly" way, and when she did, she couldn't help it, was considerably flustered and pretended it didn't happen. Even when it was things she was not immune to as a man.

  


Like the evening when she and Cas had been alone in the house all day. They ended up crashing on the couch, Cas sitting and Dean laying, resting her head in his lap, staring up into his eyes. Cas kept tenderly stroking through her hair. Sam nearly dropped the bag when he entered the room and found them like this.

  


"Dude, where's Dean and what have you done to him?" he exclaimed mockingly. Dean and Cas' increasingly open affectionate behavior was slowly freaking him out. He wasn't used to anything like that from Dean, and he suspected it could be the girly hormones. But at the same time, he was happy for Dean. It was just weird.

  


"What's your problem?" Dean snorted. She was too exhausted to really care about Sam finding them like this.

  


"Oh, nothing." Sam chuckled.

  


"Sam, shove it! I've had hot steaming girly sex all day, I'm tired now and don't need your jokes!"

  


"Too much information!"

  


Sam vacated fast. He still couldn't wrap his mind around his brother having "hot, steaming girly sex". Not that he wanted to.

  


But most of the time, Dean was the Dean she always was. They still went on small hunts. But even after small hunts, Castiel was getting worked up about every little scratch Dean brought home. Bobby was as bad as Cas, and he scolded Dean on a regular basis for not taking good care of herself.

  


"I'm not a baby!" Dean complained angrily on more than one occasion.

  


"But you'll be having one!" Bobby usually yelled back.

  


And Dean still liked to drink beer. A lot. She simply forgot she should stop with it. But with four others in the house, there was always someone near to snatch the bottle out of her hand. Even Gabriel cared about it, although Dean suspected he only did it to annoy her.

  


They also faked a new FBI badge for her and got her a new suit for the hunts. A suit, not a coat and skirt combo. Then all insisted she cat walk in her FBI outfit to check if she looked professional enough.

  


"This is stupid." Dean still insisted, standing in the middle of Bobby's study, her arms crossed defensively in front of her. She wore neat black dress pants, a white blouse and a matching black blazer. Sam looked her up and down, enjoying this way too much if the dimples in his cheeks were anything to go by.

  


"I think that'll work." he announced. Gabriel nodded. The archangel was leaning lazily against the armrest of Bobby's sofa. Bobby just stared at her thoughtfully, scrubbing one hand over his beard.

  


"What?" Dean asked, agitated. "Can I change back now?"

  


"Just one more thing. Wait." Bobby murmured and disappeared upstairs. When he came back again, Dean couldn't believe what she was seeing. Bobby was holding a pair of pumps in his hands.

  


"Ain't looking professional without heels." The older hunter insisted.

  


"I don't think real agents wear heels." Sam pondered, but he grinned about Bobby's idea.

  


"Might be, but people only know 'em TV agents. What's it called? CSI or somethin'?" Bobby replied.

  


"True." Sam agreed, grinning even wider.

  


"You can't be serious, I ain't wearing heels!" Dean complained.

  


"Now stop fussing and try them on. They're not even high. If we're lucky, they'll fit. And don't ya dare fuck 'em up, those were Karen's favorites!"

  


Dean glared down at the heels as if they were the latest supernatural vermin trying to tickle her toes. Bobby was right, they weren't even that high, only a little bit more than an inch, and they were black without any fancy decorations. But when Bobby announced they were Karen's, Dean knew she couldn't dare to say one bad word about them or Bobby would throw a shit fit. Very reluctantly, she slipped them on. She wasn't happy to see that they really looked good on her slender feet, and that they fit perfectly.

  


"Now see if you can walk in them." Bobby ordered.

  


"Okay." Dean huffed and stood up, taking a few shaky steps.

  


"Don't put your weight on the foot before the toes hit the ground!" Gabriel supplied. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers and was standing right next to Dean, wearing ridiculous four-inch high go-go heels.

  


"See?" he grinned, walking back and forth through the study, without the slightest bit of discomfort, swinging his hips in the process and waggling his eyebrows and winking flirtatiously at Sam as he passed him.

  


Dean just stared at Gabe for a moment before she broke into barking laughter. Sam's face was red with second-hand embarrassment, but he also had to smile about his boyfriend's antics. Bobby raised his brows, looked at Sam, then at Gabriel and then at Sam again.

  


"You sure he's your _boy_ friend?" he asked with special emphasis.

  


Gabriel rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly, still standing securely on his ridiculously high heels and with a hand on his hips as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

  


"I'm an angel. No gender, you buckos!"

  


"Okay Dean, if he can walk with these things, you should manage it too." Bobby said.

  


Reluctantly, Dean walked back and forth a bit, and Gabriel's advice really helped. After a few rounds through the study, she managed to be relatively secure. Bobby allowed her to take everything off again and store it away until she needed it. Gabriel snapped his fingers again, and his feet were clad in comfy sneakers. Castiel had watched the whole thing silently and smiled at Dean reassuringly when she sought his gaze.

  


*** * ***

  


After about two weeks, Dean's phone rang. She looked at the display. Ben. He wouldn't be calling if nothing was wrong, so she had to take the call.

  


"Hey Ben." she greeted him, completely forgetting about her girlyness.

  


"Who are you and where is Dean?" the boy asked.

  


"Oh," was all Dean said for a moment.

  


"Listen, Ben, I'm Dean. I know it's weird, but I got changed a bit. Tell me what's wrong!"

  


There was silence on the other end for a moment before Ben spoke up again.

  


"Give me Sam." he finally demanded.

  


"Sam!" Dean cried through the house. Sam was there in an instant. "Tell Ben here that it's really me."

  


Sam took the phone. "Hey Ben. Yeah, my brother is kind of my sister right now. Only temporarily." Sam handed the phone back to Dean.

  


Ben recognized Sam's voice. He was confused, but he had more important problems. "Okay..." he said slowly. "Can you come? Something strange is happening here."

  


"Ben, what's wrong?" Dean demanded to know. "Are you and your mom alright?"

  


"Yes, we are. But I don't know what's going on." Ben answered. Dean could hear fear in his voice.

  


"We're coming immediately." Dean promised.

  


*** * ***

  


Lisa stared, confused, at the little group that had gathered in front of her door. Sam was standing there, with a woman and a guy in a trench coat she had never seen before.

  


"Hi. We came as fast as we could." the woman spoke up. Dean braced herself for the explanation she was going to have to give.

  


"Dean?" Lisa asked incredulously, staring wide-eyed at Dean.

  


"Yeah." Dean smiled back. Ben appeared at Lisa's side and looked up at Dean curiously.

  


"Come in." Lisa said, gesturing them to follow her. They all went into Lisa's living room and sat down.

  


"You already know Sam, and that's Cas." Dean introduced, "Cas, Ben and Lisa."

  


"My pleasure."

  


"Hi." Lisa said. "You're a hunter?"

  


"Yes." Dean said.

  


"No." Cas answered.

  


" _Yes._ " Dean repeated. "Well, kind of."

  


"So, how did this happen?" she asked, confused.

  


"Oh well, you're not going to believe it." Dean sighed.

  


Lisa smirked. "I didn't believe in monsters either, but I'm more open minded now. Try me."

  


"Okay..." Dean had no idea how to explain this. _Hey, my boyfriend is an angel and his douchebag archangel brother turned me into a chick so we can have a big and happy family with a dog and a house and a white fence and a bunch of kids..._

  


"... we ran into a trickster. They are very powerful, almost like gods. He thought it would be funny to change me."

  


"Oh." Lisa said sympathetically. "Can you get back to normal again?"

  


"Well, I..."

  


Cas stared at Dean, irritated. "Why don't you tell her the full truth?"

  


"Yeah?" Lisa asked, staring at Dean.

  


"Oh...well..."

  


Sam sighed. His brother/sister/whatever was such a douchebag sometimes, and Cas never knew when he should keep his mouth shut.

  


Lisa turned her gaze to Castiel. Castiel stared directly into her eyes and spoke, completely calm. "Dean and I are life companions. I am an angel and my brother Gabriel changed Dean into a woman because we want to raise a family. Gabriel will turn him back after our child is born."

  


Lisa's jaw dropped. Her eyes flicked from Dean to Castiel and back again. Dean was red as a tomato.

  


"Oh, well, that's great!" she finally managed to say. She had no idea what to think of this. It sounded like a bad joke, but with Dean, you never knew. And it was kind of hard to decide which little detail in his speech was the weirdest. Her eyes finally lingered on Castiel.

  


"You're an angel?" she whispered incredulously, as if she was afraid to ask it loud.

  


Suddenly, the lights went out, and when they came back again huge, shadowy wings spread out on the wall behind Cas. The lights flickered again and everything was back to normal. Lisa and Ben just stared in awe. Dean was impressed herself. Cas didn't show off his wings often, but when he did, he made a point out of it.

  


"You're such a drama queen." she grinned and poked Cas in his side. Cas didn't react, still holding Lisa's gaze intently. Dean got a bit jealous and poked harder until Cas turned his attention back to her.

  


"Gabriel, as in archangel Gabriel?" Lisa finally asked.

  


"Yes." Cas answered patiently. "Only an archangel has the power to manipulate matter in this way. But this is not of importance right now. Please tell us why you have called us."

  


Lisa slowly nodded. "It started a week ago. The lights on 7th street began to flicker, right at this bar, and my breath was freezing. I got away from there as fast as I could. Next day, 5 young men were found in the parking lot behind the bar. And 4 days later, another man died, but I don't know where."

  


"Sounds like an angry spirit." Sam suggested.

  


"I'll be right back." Cas disappeared with a flutter of wings.

  


Lisa and Ben stared at the empty spot.

  


"He does that a lot." Dean commented.

  


Cas appeared back. "It is not an angry spirit. All the dead are at rest. It must be something very powerful to be able to hide from me."

  


"Or it's a human psychopath killer and we have nothing to do here." Sam pondered.

  


"Lisa, Ben, why don't you go out of town for a while? I don't feel comfortable with you still here." Dean suggested.

  


Lisa nodded. "Ok. Call me if you need anything. And...thanks for the help."

  


"That's our job." Dean said, with a flirtatious smile on her lips. The motion was so trained into her that she didn't even notice.

  


Sam cleared his throat. "Okay, we should probably go and check out that bar. You know anything about the bar, Lisa?"

  


She shook her head. "Not much. It's a place where young people go to hook up. I stopped going there since the last three guys I met there ran off after hearing I have a son."

  


"Oh, ok." Sam said sympathetically, "Thanks. We should go now."

  


Lisa glanced one last time at Cas and Dean before leaving to pack her things. She couldn't really wrap her head around what Cas had said. Maybe he'd been messing with her, but he looked so serious.

  


*** * ***

  


They stopped first at a motel to get some rooms. Since Cas said it was a powerful being, they knew it wouldn't be done in one day.

  


"You shouldn't be here." Cas grumbled. He was more concerned than ever about Dean. He didn't want her to get into any danger.

  


"Why? Because I have boobs now?" Dean asked. "I'm still a hunter, you know, Cas."

  


"You are endangering yourself." he replied gravely.

  


Dean snorted. "Cas, I have to take care of this. I have to help Ben and Lisa! And besides, I'm not pregnant yet! ...I think."

  


"I do not like to see you in danger." Cas admitted quietly. He had hoped Dean wouldn't be in danger anymore after the apocalypse was stopped. That she took the chance to stop. But hunting was in the Winchesters' blood, and they didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Cas didn't want to lose Dean and their future family. He couldn't resurrect her again, not without permission of the heavenly host.

  


"Hey." Dean said and came close to Cas, stroking her thumb tenderly along his jaw. "I'll take care of myself. Don't worry."

  


Cas nodded silently. He didn't need to add that he would be making sure nothing happened to Dean. Dean kissed him softly before she pulled back again.

  


"Ok, it's a hook up bar. I should probably dress girly." Dean said, smirking. She went for her duffle bag and dug up the skirt and a tank top, plus the pumps.

  


*** * ***

  


Sam eyes went wide and an astronomical grin spread on his face as he saw Dean voluntarily in a skirt and heels.

  


"What?" Dean huffed at him.

  


"Hey, you're looking nice!" Sam grinned. "Nice and _girly._ Why didn't you wear skirts before? I'm sure all the chicks dig it!"

  


"Shove it, Sam!" Dean grumbled. "I'm just dressing up for the job."

  


"I'm never going to hear the end of this..." she muttered as she went to the Impala.

  


*** * ***

  


The bar was a rather tiny bar at the end of the town, crammed with young people trying to hook up, like Lisa described it. Dean gave an experimental swing of her hips and instantly, the gazes of a lot of hormone filled young men were glued to her hips. Dean was more than uncomfortable. Yeah, she liked feeling attractive, but she didn't want random dudes drooling over her. She had never taken interest in any other dude. Cas was the only one allowed to drool over her, damn it!

  


She noticed that some of the gazes flicked to a spot behind her and turned back to the bar in defeat. She looked over her shoulder to find Cas glaring at the guys.

  


"Damn it, Cas, how can I talk to anybody if you scare them away?"

  


"The interest they took in you is not administrable to our case." he growled possessively.

  


"Wrong. If they want to get in my pants, they'll tell me everything." Dean explained.

  


"Do you always solve your cases through flirting with strangers?" Cas asked, with a voice like icy venom.

  


Oh. So Cas was jealous. This was going to be interesting. "Not always. But lots of times." Dean grinned at him. "Why don't you try it yourself? I saw this cute blonde over there wink at you." Dean shot a glance in her direction. "Wouldn't toss her out of my bed. Oh, if I had sex now with another chick, that would be hot lesbian sex, right?"

  


Dean's brain shut off and lingered a moment in her very male sex fantasy, until Cas caught her attention back.

  


"We should concentrate on the case." he said, agitated.

  


"Ok, find someone to flirt with." Dean grinned. "See? Sam is already _working._ "

  


Sam was really already speaking with two girls. Since Dean clearly didn't want him here, Cas decided to join Sam. Dean smirked. She was already looking forward to some hot and angry make up sex.

  


Dean strolled over to the bar, not forgetting to swing her hips. She felt kind of stupid and cheap, but it had the intended effect. Before she could open her mouth to order something, there was already a tall blond guy next to her, saying "Hi" with a flirtatious smile on his lips.

  


"Hi." Dean smiled back. Really, he wasn't her type. Tall, blond, muscular... sure, the blue eyes were a plus, but they were not as bright as... _wait, am I comparing random dudes to Cas? What is wrong with me?_

  


"Can I get you something to drink?" the guy asked.

  


_Not the newest pick up line_. "Sure." she answered anyway.

  


"What will you have?" the barkeeper asked.

  


"Whiskey." Dean ordered. The eyes of the guy got big, and he looked intimidated for a very short moment. But he was a manly man, so he had to order something at least as strong as the woman.

  


"For me, too."

  


"Sure you can handle it?" the barkeeper asked Dean.

  


"Sure. Better ask him if he can handle it." Dean joked. The guy shrugged his shoulders in a way of saying _no problem!_ and smiled at her.

  


The whiskey was there in a moment, and Dean downed it without a blink. The guy downed it as fast, but Dean noticed that he didn't really appreciate it all that much. _Are all dudes that obvious? Am I that obvious?_ Dean suddenly asked herself.

  


"So, what's your name?" he asked.

  


"Dea... Deanna."

  


"I'm Jake. Haven't seen you before in this small town."

  


Dean shrugged. "I'm visiting some family."

  


He seemed relieved. "So this black haired guy I saw you with is your brother?"

  


"Yeah. He's pretty overprotective. Gets on my nerves all the time. I like my freedom, you know?"

  


Dean tried to smile suggestively at him, but she didn't really feel like it. This guy was so not interesting. Besides, he was a dude. Dean never took interest in any dudes (except Cas).

  


But it seemed to work anyway, if the guy's toothy grin was anything to go by. "That's cool." he said, "So you need to escape? I know a good place."

  


_Geez, do I look like a desperate slut?_ "Sounds good. But I think Cas would go crazy if I disappear already. He's all worked up about the murder that happened here. You know anything about that?"

  


The guy pondered for a moment. He wasn't really interested in the topic, but like Dean predicted, he would talk about anything to keep her attention. "Not really, sorry. You shouldn't worry about that too much, this is a safe town, usually."

  


"Good." So this guy was a fail. She didn't like talking to him anyway. Dean turned to lean on the bar, pointedly away from him.

  


"Hey," she asked the barkeeper, "do you know anything about that?"

  


The barkeeper looked up from the glass he was cleaning. "I've been asked about that a lot lately. Has nothing to do with this bar!" he insisted.

  


"That so?" Dean asked. "Why don't you tell me the full story? Oh, and a beer please, by the way."

  


The barkeeper took a bottle of beer and placed it in front of Dean. Dean reached for her money, but a bill was already laying on the counter, shoved in the barkeeper's direction from Jake.

  


"Thanks." Dean said, a little surprised. She wasn't used to this kind of treatment, even when she recognized it as something she had often done herself.

  


"You shouldn't care about that," Jake insisted, trying to regain her attention.

  


_Wait... he is trying to_ buy _my attention?_ Pointedly, she ignored him and turned to the barkeeper.

  


"Well..." the barkeeper explained, "the murdered guys were having a fight with a smaller guy, until I shoved them out. Curiously enough, the small guy encouraged the fight the whole time; he was smirking and joking about them. After I shoved them out, I told him he shouldn't mess with those hot-heads. He just laughed and followed them out."

  


The barkeeper shook his head. "There is no way he could've taken on all those guys alone. And the police said they didn't find any clues of a fight."

  


"You've seen that guy before?" Dean asked, sure she had found a lead.

  


"No, never before and never after. We're a small town, I know all the faces, even the ones that don't come here."

  


"What did he look like?"

  


Jake was impatiently tapping at the table. "Are you from police or something, that you have to make an interrogation?" he asked, agitated.

  


Dean ignored him some more.

  


"Really, a cute little chick like you shouldn't rack her brains over this. Leave it to the big guys."

  


Dean just glared at Jake before turning back to the barkeeper.

  


"A small guy. Long, blond hair. Was flirting a lot with men before he got in the fight. Couldn't make out much more though, I have to take care of customers."

  


"Thanks." Dean said.

  


"Hey, you really don't need to be afraid of this little psychopath." Jake smiled reassuringly at her, "He's left town for sure by now." He stepped closer, placed a hand on her arm and looked deeply into her eyes. "And besides, I'll look out for you."

  


Ugh. What a douchebag. Dean backed away. She also recognized this as something she did. A lot. But now that she was on the receiving end, it seemed sickeningly dumb.

  


"You know, I've been a marine." Jake told her. "You don't need to worry about some sick fucker when I'm around."

  


"Okay." Dean pressed out.

  


Jake moved even closer and covered her hand with his other one. "A young thing like you shouldn't hang around in a bar like this. I could take you home, I can think of some better things to do with a cute thing like you."

  


Dean could very well imagine the image Jake must have in his head. She stared at him angrily, but before she could start throwing the meanest insults she knew at him she felt fingers travelling over her thigh, sneakily lifting her skirt. Dean snapped. This was too much. Her hand was already flying to score a hard, solid punch right in his face when suddenly an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her away. Next thing she knew, familiar stubble brushed her face and warm lips pressed against hers possessively.

  


"Cas, what the hell?"

  


"Don't you dare touch her again." Cas growled furiously, glaring at Jake darkly. Jake looked shell shocked and retreated a little.

  


"Your brother, huh?" he said accusingly. But Cas' death glare made him step back even more. It seemed funny how such a big guy, a marine, could look like a slapped puppy, afraid of someone much smaller and thinner than him. Cas could be pretty badass when he wanted to.

  


"I do not want to see you in her presence again." Cas growled. His tone clearly warned not to mess with him. Jake still seemed shocked, but he also seemed to know when it was time to turn tail.

  


"Hey, Cas, you don't need to go all angelic wrath over him!" Dean said. Cas glared at Jake's back until the marine left the bar.

  


"I told you these men take the wrong kind of interest in you." he said softly. Dean rolled her eyes. Cas wrapped his arms around her and pressed her close, capturing her mouth again.

  


"Cas, wait..." Dean said reluctantly, trying to squirm her way out of his embrace. She had never been comfortable with kissing Cas in front of others. Unfortunately, Cas didn't care about that at all, he pressed her close and her attempts were useless. Suddenly, she stopped squirming when she realized something. _Oh wait a sec, I'm a chick now so it won't be gay if I make out with Cas!_

  


Dean smiled. "Thanks for rescuing me." She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back hesitantly. Cas was more than eager, his lips parted under hers and he pressed her even closer.

  


Dean flushed. This was new, and something about showing everyone that she was Cas' was damn hot and turning her on. Even better was that no one would get the wrong ideas now, pointing a finger and accusingly muttering _gay._ Cas placed a thumb on her chin and pushed it down gently to open her mouth under his. His hot tongue wormed its way in and brushed against hers demandingly.

  


_I've created a monster_ , Dean thought. But she smiled into his mouth, closed her eyes and simply enjoyed it. She welcomed his tongue and fisted her hands into his dark hair.

  


Someone cleared his voice behind them.

  


"Hey guys, don't you think we have a case to solve?" Sam asked. Dean pulled back and grinned at Sam's bitch-face.

  


"Sorry. You know I can't resist making out with hot chicks in bars!" she said as a way of apology.

  


Sam frowned amused. "Dean, Cas is a dude!"

  


"So, this time I'm the hot chick. Who cares?"

  


Ignoring Sam, she turned back to Cas and pulled him into another heated kiss.

  


"Fine, I'll solve this case alone!" Sam fussed and Dean could hearthe bitch-face.

  


Cas pulled back this time, but only to drag Dean into the nearest dark corner. He sat down on a bench, pulled her into his lap and they kissed again passionately. Sam gave up and turned away embarrassed at the point where Cas' hand snuck its way under Dean's skirt and dug his fingers into her thigh.

  


"I can't even count on Cas anymore." Sam muttered to himself. He made his way to the bar in defeat. This was highly irritating.

  


"Some brother that is." The barkeeper murmured amused.

  


"Yeah, she's really some brother." Sam sighed.

  


The barkeeper shot him a funny look.

  


Sam realised what he just said. "Uhm, I mean, I am her brother, and she's mine. Uhm, my sister!"

  


The barkeeper grinned.

  


"And Cas is... not her brother."

  


"Obviously." The barkeep stated, still smiling amused.

  


Sam decided that this was the point where he should probably shut his mouth. He didn't really know what to call Dean and Cas anyway. They were not married, technically, but they were planning on having a baby together and that counted more as a commitment in his eyes. Also, he should try not to freak out. Something was changing with Dean. Before she was a girl, she was even embarrassed when he found them kissing, and now they were making out in a bar in front of all people.

  


*** * ***

  


Dean and Cas finally broke apart long enough for Sam to drag them out of the bar, and they were making their way to the Impala. Cas had his arm still wrapped around Dean's waist and Dean was leaning against him.

  


"I can't believe it." Sam murmured.

  


"What's the matter, Sam?" Dean asked.

  


Sam forgot completely that he should be mad at Dean and Cas for letting him work alone. He couldn't help but be happy that Dean finally was comfortable enough with this whole relationship business to show it more openly. But something much worse than their behavior occupied his mind. "It's Gabriel."

  


"I know. What's wrong, Sam? Did you think he stopped messing with people just because he lives with us?"

  


"That's not the problem." Sam frowned. "You found out why he got in a fight with those guys?"

  


"No."

  


"Because he was trying to flirt with them." Sam looked like a kicked puppy. "Why does he still flirt with other people?"

  


Dean sighed. "I don't know. Ask him."

  


But Sam didn't ask him. He was much too afraid of what else he could discover.

  


*** * ***

  


The next few days passed without much action. Sam was awkwardly quiet around Gabriel, and was glancing at him insecurely. Gabriel didn't notice any of it. He was still the same smirking archangel. And he was still sweet to Sam, in his very own way. Sam was hiding his concern pretty well, though, and aside from that, everything was as normal as life can be in a hunter's house with a gender-swapped Dean.

  


Sam tossed the car keys at Dean. He had gone on the last supply run.

  


"I grabbed something for you," he said with a goofy grin.

  


"What?" Dean asked. She didn't like the sound of that.

  


Sam pulled several books out of the shopping bag and held them up. The first one sported a naked and highly pregnant woman, crossing her arms and legs to cover her more intimate parts. She smiled happily down at her huge, round potbelly. " _The Big Pregnancy Guide"_ was written above her head. The second book was labeled " _The First Year"_ , and it showed a happy woman breast-feeding her baby. The third one showed a pair walking against a sunrise, each holding the hand of a girl between them. " _Do's and Don't's_ "

  


Dean crocked an eyebrow at her brother. "This is a joke, right?"

  


Sam was still grinning like mad. "Oh, I thought... since you're a dude, normally, I thought you'd need this more than any other woman."

  


Dean still stared at him incredulously. Cas, in the meantime, took the first book and started browsing through it.

  


"It may contain valuable information." Cas offered.

  


"See?" Sam grinned. "He appreciates my concern!"

  


"Bitch."

  


"Dean, the book states that the probability of conceiving increases if you lift your pelvis after coitus." he murmured curiously.

  


Dean stared at Cas, dumbfounded. Sam cracked into a hysterical laughing fit. Cas tilted his head, confused.

  


"I do not understand the humor of this."

  


Sam slowly managed to pull himself back together. "It's ok, Cas." he said, patting Cas' back. Little giggles still escaped his throat.

  


"But I wonder," Sam said, "how long it takes. I mean, you guys have been..." he raised his eyebrows knowingly and gestured between them, "you know, for a while now."

  


Sam still had some difficulties talking about that. But strangely, his discomfort about his brother's sex life was not greater than before the switch.

  


Right at that moment, Gabriel entered the room.

  


"Hey sweetie!" he grinned, and placed a very wet welcoming kiss on Sam's mouth. "Oh, and by the way, Dean's bun is already in the oven!"

  


"Really?" Sam asked. Everyone stared at Gabriel in surprise. But after the first moment of shock, Cas was immediately hovering over Dean's belly.

  


"Congrats, Dean." Sam said. He was happy for the two, they deserved this.

  


Dean curiously stared down at her belly and laid a hand on it. Cas smiled at her happily and covered her hand with his own. She still couldn't really grasp the fact that there would be something growing in her belly. For now, she wasn't happy or sad, she was not even confused. She simply lacked understanding.

  


Finally, she asked what everyone was silently wondering. "How did you know before Cas?"

  


"Hellooo?" Gabriel asked, drawing circles around his head. "Archangel! The little soul 's still too small and weak for a tiny baby angel like Cassie to notice. Can't be older than a few days."

  


Cas turned his head to glare daggers at his brother. _Great,_ Dean thought, _now he isn't only fucking around with Sam, but insulting Cas also!_

  


"I feel it," Cas said gravely, "when I concentrate on it."

  


Dean had reached the point where he didn't want to deal with Gabriel anymore.

  


"Gabe, you're a stupid son of a bitch! Pull your head out of your ass and think about what you're doing or saying for one freaking time! First, you screw my brother around and make him unhappy, and now you go after Cas? I'm sick and tired of it by now!"

  


Gabriel's eyes went wide as moons. "I'm making Sam unhappy?" he asked.

  


"Yeah!"

  


Gabriel turned to Sam, looking up at him with huge puppy eyes. "Is that true, Sammy?"

  


Sam didn't know what to answer. Gabriel looked so sorry. "Where did I screw up?" Gabriel finally asked.

  


"You're never considering how Sam might feel before you open your pie-hole!" Dean happily scolded. "And what about that bar where you flirted with random dudes and ganked them later?"

  


"I had to make sure they deserved it!" Gabriel defended himself.

  


Dean was really getting going now. "I'm sick of you screwing around with my little brother like you don't give a damn! And don't insult Cas like that, 'cause he's pretty bad ass when we deal with fuckers while you're somewhere sticking candy in your throat!"

  


Gabriel was silent for a moment. His gaze was hard, face in a blank mask and he seemed to be imploding on the spot. He was about as bad at admitting feelings as Dean, if not even worse.

  


Gabriel took a step toward Sam and touched his arm. With a flutter of wings, they were gone.

  


*** * ***

  


Gabriel flew them to their room. He wanted to talk to Sam alone. Sam was wearing the biggest, sorriest puppy-dog eyes Gabriel had ever seen.

  


"I'm sorry, okay?" Gabriel said, almost whispering. "I screwed up." He looked so small and apologetic in that moment, Sam couldn't really be mad at him much longer.

  


"It's okay." Sam pulled the smaller man into a hug. "Just... don't forget what Dean said."

  


Gabriel smiled up at him. "I'll make it up to you, promise!"

  


"Thanks." Sam leaned down to kiss his trickster.

  


Gabriel kissed back. He was fighting with himself. There were three little words floating around in his head, but he couldn't get them out.

  


But Sam seemed happy anyway, so it was okay for now. Sam's world was perfect. His lover had apologized, his brother ( _sister, whatever... this is too confusing!)_ was getting a family, and the hunts were sparse and far between. He couldn't be happier.


	3. Chapter 3

The next few days and weeks, everyone was watching Dean closely. They were all curious about when Dean would show the first signs of her pregnancy.

To Dean, the whole thing still seemed unreal. She was sitting once more in Bobby's study, digging through his material for the next hunt.

"What'cha doing there?" Bobby grumbled when he saw her.

"What's it look like?" Dean asked.

"I'm not letting you go on a hunt!" Bobby insisted.

Dean ruffled through her hair tiredly. "I'm pregnant, not incapacitated!" she scolded. "I've gotta do something, Bobby! I'm gonna go insane if I sit around all day!"

"Okay," Bobby said. "You can do some research. But I'm not letting you go on a hunt!"

"Okay, okay. I'm not going anywhere." Dean dropped her hand on the table, exasperated. She was feeling so useless right now. When she was researching, everyone would freak out that she can't go on a hunt. When she tried to fix one of the cars in the yard, everyone freaked out that this kind of work was too heavy for a pregnant woman. It wasn't like she had a baby-belly!

And Bobby was checking out her belly again.

Dean pulled up her shirt to show her toned, flat belly. "Still nothing, see?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

Bobby pulled back. "Keep sure that my grandkid is safe!" he insisted.

Suddenly, Dean jumped up. "Get your own baby!" she shouted angrily, throwing all the papers from the table and storming out.

Sam looked up, confused, from his place on the couch.

"I think we've just witnessed the first case of pregnancy induced mood swings." Bobby murmured. Sam grinned.

"Dean's got belly?" he asked. Sam had decided that he wanted to say "Dean" instead of "her" or "she" at every opportunity. In his mind, his older brother would always be an older brother. Only when he was talking with Dean, he said "her" or "she" every time, emphasizing it on purpose to tease her.

"I don't know." Bobby murmured, thoughtfully scrubbing his beard. "I think I saw a small bump, but you saw what she shoved into herself for breakfast..."

"Hm."

"With y'all here and Dean pregnant, my home 'll soon be a nuthouse." Bobby murmured.

* * *

Dean stormed into her bathroom. Pulling her shirt up, she stared once more at her belly. It looked flat. But when she turned to the side, she could see a small bump. Is this the baby or the eggs and bacon? she wondered.

She still didn't, and couldn't, know what to think of it. Yes, she wanted to have a child with Cas. But the fact that said child would grow in her body seemed incomprehensible. She rubbed small circles over her belly. Somehow, she felt guilty for not realizing, not comprehending that the child was there, in her. She felt like she was betraying it. A mother was supposed to be happy about her child, wasn't she? But still, Dean couldn't be happy. She could not be happy because she simply didn't understand.

Suddenly, Cas appeared behind her. He slung his arms around her, covering the hand on her belly with his own. He rested his head on her shoulder, smiling at her through the mirror.

"It gets stronger with every day" he said, "I can feel it easily now."

It was weird. How the fuck could Cas feel what was in her body if she couldn't feel it herself? It was like they switched roles. Cas was apparently the expectant mother, blissfully happy and "feeling" everything, while Dean was the freaked out father who didn't know jack squat.

Dean leaned back against him.

"Cas... this is so weird. I just don't get it." Dean admitted.

"You will soon." Cas was sure. "Give it time."

Cas' hand rubbed lovingly over her belly.

"The book said it is normal for expecting mothers to feel insecure. It also says that you will need time to realize it."

Dean snorted. "You really read the fucking books?"

"Of course, Dean. We need to be prepared."

* * *

The next morning, Dean woke up with a foul taste in her mouth and an awkward grumbling in her belly. She sat up slowly, swinging her legs out of the bed and the worst nausea she could remember was rising in her. She bolted to the bathroom.

"Dean?" Cas asked. Concerned, he followed, and found her hovering over the toilet. He touched her forehead, and she felt fine instantly.

"Thanks Cas..." Dean sighed. Suddenly, she seemed concerned. "Your mojo won't harm the baby?"

"Of course not, Dean. I would never do something that could endanger our child."

"Okay. Thanks."

Dean got dressed and headed for the coffee pot. By now, slipping clothes on or off her different body had grown so normal that she didn't give much thought about it anymore. She even managed to get the bra on with only a little bit of awkward fumbling. Cas had been a great help. He always regarded her body with as much awe as before. The difference seemed to be lost on him.

The rest of the family was already down in the kitchen. Sam and Bobby were sitting at the table, sipping coffee, while Gabriel bothered himself making home-made pancakes.

"Why don't you just mojo them?" Dean asked.

"Now, where would be the fun in that?" Gabriel asked. "Besides, Sammy loves my pancakes, right?"

The two lovebirds smiled at each other.

Dean could only smile. Ever since her little freak out a few weeks ago, the two were behaving like love sick teenagers. Sam didn't even seem to bother to correct Gabriel about his name anymore. And Gabriel did almost anything to make Sam happy, and hand-cooking pancakes was apparently one of these things. It showed Sam was worth more than a fast snap of fingers.

Sam suddenly rushed over and tugged her t-shirt up.

"Sam, knock it off!" Dean exclaimed angrily, trying to shove the gigantic hands away from her.

"Just wanted to check it out myself." Sam said in way of apology, although he wasn't looking apologetic at all.

"Wasn't the breakfast." he told Bobby.

"What?" Dean barked even more annoyed.

"You haven't eaten anything today, so this little bump must be the baby!" Sam explained happily.

Irritated, Dean looked down at her belly and poked it curiously. It didn't feel different than normal. But anyway, how was a baby belly supposed to feel?

She pulled down her shirt, slinging her arms around her self-consciously. This was all so freaking confusing. And besides, Gabriel's pancakes smelled like he burnt them. And also, Sam had been close enough to smell his aftershave. It had never bothered her before, but suddenly it was an insult to her nostrils...

"Cas, I..." she suddenly exclaimed, setting her coffee on the table. But by the time Cas was up, Dean went on instinct and bolted to the next bathroom. Cas disappeared.

"What the...?" Sam asked frowning. But his frown turned fast into a grin.

"Morning sickness!" he happily explained to Bobby.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." the older hunter snorted.

Dean and Cas came back only a moment later.

"Tell me in time and you will not have any inconveniences." Cas asked, looking at her with a stern, but concerned, expression.

"It's not like I know in advance!" Dean rolled her eyes and headed for her coffee. Curiously, the smell of Sam's aftershave still lingered there in the air. Combined with burned pancakes and the smell of gunpowder and dust that was everywhere in the house, it resulted in a nasty cocktail. Dean headed for the window and tore it open like her life depended on it.

But the window was in Gabriel's way, so he closed it again.

"Keep it open, y'all stink like the fucking undead!" Dean complained.

Four curious pair of eyes were on her immediately.

"I don't know about the others, but I showered." Bobby stated.

"Me too." Sam insisted.

"Archangels can't stink!" Gabe said playfully. "Right, Sammy?"

Dean glared at them, as if blaming them that her nose was suddenly hyper-sensitive. Cursing, she stomped out of the house.

"What was that all about?" Sam wondered.

"One of the books said expecting woman have a higher sensitivity to smells." Cas explained.

"I better look after her." he added and was gone.

"More pancakes for my Sammy!" Gabriel grinned, placing a plate with deliciously steaming and not at all burnt pancakes on the table. Sam, Gabe and Bobby started happily devouring the pancakes.

"Leave some for Dean." Bobby suggested when they neared the end. "We don't want our hungry diva to freak about not getting her share."

* * *

Dean was eating like her belly was a bottomless hole. After she cooled down again, she was stuffing herself with the big share of pancakes the others had left for her. And still wasn't satisfied.

During the next weeks, her tiredness increased. It was as if all her energy was drawn from her by a higher force. She didn't want to drink too much coffee, so she ended up playing couch potato, watching some TV shows most of the time. When she felt like busying herself, she was mostly out in Bobby's junkyard, helping him with his work, although Bobby didn't let her do anything heavy. Sam and Bobby left for hunts from time to time, sometimes taking one of the angels with them, but Cas didn't want to leave Dean's side for too long, and Gabriel claimed to have better things to do.

Although Dean was experiencing the side effects of the pregnancy, not much had changed in her head. She still didn't understand what was happening. When her belly had grown enough to be recognizable as a baby bump, the moment came where it all crashed down on her. It wasn't a dramatic moment, not any one thing triggering the sudden understanding like it would have been in a chick-flick film.

She had been simply sitting on her bed, once more curiously tugging up her shirt to stare at her belly. And suddenly, she understood. There was a child in there, had been for the last few months now. This little bump in her belly was where her child was resting. And she wanted it so badly she hadn't realized it until now. She covered her belly with her hand, tenderly stroking it as if she could reach the child beneath. A single, manly tear streamed down her face.

"Cas?" she called, and that was all it needed. Cas appeared next to her, sitting comfortably on the bed as if he had been sitting there for the last few hours. Making himself comfortable was one of the many things Dean had taught him after they got together. At least, he could make it look like he was comfortable.

"I understand now." Dean said. Happy tears started welling up behind her eyes and her smile was so utterly blissful, it struck some chords deep within Cas. He smiled back at her, reaching up to wipe the single tear off her cheek.

No other words were needed. Cas wrapped her into a loving embrace, careful not to press her belly. They simply sat like that, lost in each other's eyes, enjoying the warmth of each other and it felt like the damn happiest moment in Dean's entire life. Dean was happy that Cas didn't need big words, or Dean would have probably died by the intensity of chick-flick moments they had shared. She was much more content with just sitting like that, savoring the warmth and love shining in his eyes that told her everything she could never put into words.

In a different kind of way, it still seemed unreal. She was having a baby with an angel of the Lord. She was feeling love in an intensity she could not explain for this angel of the Lord. Sometimes, she wondered how it was possible. The thoughts just jammed in her brain. But Dean tried not to think about it too much anymore.

When they had stared at each other for so long that it started feeling ridiculous, she lowered her gaze and snuggled her head against his neck. She noticed one of the dreaded pregnancy companions on Cas's nightstand.

"You're reading while I sleep?" she suddenly complained.

"Sometimes." he admitted.

Dean was silent for a moment. She didn't know why it should bother her anyway that Cas was not stalkerishly staring at her the whole night. But it did, somehow.

"Look up something really important." Dean ordered. "How long can we keep having sex?"

Cas reached for the book. The smile on Cas' lips told her he was very interested in that question as well.

* * *

Sam angrily stepped out of the car. He had a terrible day. His clothes were drenched in blood and goo, he had what felt like the worst headache in his life and the goo smeared in his hair was causing nausea. He and Bobby had been hunting a shapeshifter, and the moment he expected it the least, the monster was suddenly over him. Gabriel, instead of helping him, disappeared suddenly. Fortunately, Bobby was near and shot the beast with silver bullets, causing it to explode in a mass of blood and goo all over Sam.

That was the story of why Sam entered the house stinking, goo smeared all over him and possibly in the worst mood he ever had. But his bad mood seemed to fly away after he had set one foot in the house. He heard Dean singing in Bobby's study. Curiously, he snuck nearer, stopping in the doorway. Dean was sitting there on the couch, stroking her belly and softly singing "Hey Jude" to it, with her lips and eyes curled in a happy smile. Hearing her sing reminded Sam of how weirdly high Dean's voice currently was, but Dean seemed at ease, as if she didn't notice the difference. But much more important was that Dean had finally got the whole baby thing into her head and was happy about it.

Sam couldn't help but smile. He was happy for them, and Dean's happiness washed the terrible day away from his mind. Bobby stopped next to Sam and smiled broadly.

"I guess that idjit finally got everything into her head." he commented.

Dean noticed the other two hunters and jumped.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" she scolded, blushing embarrassedly.

Sam didn't joke about Dean this time. He was too happy for her, and even if this was a very compromising girly situation, for once it wasn't worth it.

Bobby smiled and patted Sam's shoulder.

"Go leave her alone and clean ya'self up, for god's sake."

Then he looked at his hand that picked up some goo from Sam's shoulder and wiped it off on Sam.

He sat down next to Dean.

"I guess we can go and shop for baby stuff now?"

"Okay." Dean smiled.

* * *

Sam felt much better after a long, hot, and satisfying shower. But Gabriel's disappearance bugged him and he couldn't really set his mind at ease.

"Have you seen Gabriel?" he asked Dean later.

Dean looked up. Sam never used the archangel's full name unless something was wrong.

"No."

"And Cas?"

Dean remained silent for a moment. "Haven't seen him since breakfast." she said. Her own suspicion was raised. It wasn't normal for Cas to stay away the whole day without a note. Not since they became an official couple.

"Cas." she prayed, but there was no reaction. Now, Dean was really suspicious.

"Cas, get your feathery ass down here!"

Nothing.

Dean and Sam exchanged a worried glance. Gabe was known to ignore their prayers from time to time, but Cas always answered. Especially if Dean was calling.

"Maybe he just can't hear you right now." Bobby suggested, trying to calm Dean down.

"He always hears me." Dean insisted, panicking. "That never happened before!"

"Just calm down." Bobby said. "We ain't sure of nothin' now. Besides, 'em angels know how to take care of themselves."

* * *

The house was awkwardly quiet. Three days had passed without a note from the angels. Dean was standing in front of the coffee pot, helping herself to another cup this morning.

Bobby entered the kitchen, rustling with the newspaper in his hands. Dean mistook the sound and bolted around, yelling "Cas!"

Bobby stopped dead in his tracks. After the first shock was gone, he frowned sympathetically. "I'm sure he'll be back soon."

Dean flustered over her overreaction and awkwardly looked away.

Bobby glanced at her cup. "How many of 'em 've ya had?" he asked, nodding at her cup.

"This is the second?" Dean answered guiltily. Whenever Dean was worried or mad at someone, she started drinking or trashing things. Both were out of the question now, but old habits die hard and Dean got the urge to drink tremendous amounts of coffee instead. But the coffee only made her more wary and aggressive.

"Ya know to much ain't good." Bobby probed gently.

Dean pushed the cup away from her. She'd lost all appetite anyway. Suddenly, there was a quiet noise coming out of the study. Dean stared.

"Was that a rustling of wings?" she asked, paranoid. Bobby raised his head.

"I think it was..." he murmured.

Before Bobby could even think of moving, Dean bolted past him.

But there was not one of the expected angels standing in Bobby's study. It was a blond man with short curls, wearing a shirt with a v-neck.

"Who are you?" Dean yelled at him, immediately pointing one of the many hidden shotguns at him.

The man didn't even bother to turn to Dean. He grabbed a knife, sliced over his arm and started to draw bloody sigils with hasty movements on the windows.

"I'm Balthazar." he replied, not stopping his efforts.

"An' what'cha doin' here?" Bobby demanded.

"I'm trying to protect some puny humans from my brethren." he replied. He only looked at them for a second, gestured at their weapons and said "Now put those toys away, it's an insult that you actually think you can hurt me with that."

Then he turned back and continued to draw bloody sigils everywhere on the walls and windows. He seemed to be in a hurry.

Dean and Bobby exchanged a glance and slowly lowered their shotguns.

"And why are you doing that?" Dean asked. By now, Sam was also here. As he saw that Dean and Bobby put their guns down, he lowered his also.

"This little thing in your belly... most angels think it's an abomination. I'm doing an old friend a favor here. Cassie and Gabriel are currently flying around, trying to get Raphael on a false track."

"But... Raphael? What does he want?"

"Raphael is the head of the whole agenda against your little family. Cassie and Gabriel didn't notice because they were too busy playing around with you little mortals, until I called Cassie to warn him." Balthazar's explained with a bitter voice.

"How's Cas? He all right?" Dean asked, worried. Balthazar ignored her. He had finished his last sigil that moment, and he put a hand on it and chanted something in Enochian. All the sigils lit up and suddenly disappeared into another plane. Then, Balthazar was gone.

"Freaking angels!" Dean exclaimed.

Bobby patted his shoulder. "You heard him, he's flying around somewhere. That means he should be okay."

Dean looked down darkly. There went her dreams of an apple pie life with Cas. She stroked her belly, now not only concerned about Cas, but also about her baby. Some part of her wasn't even surprised something like this happened, but was more surprised at how long it took for something like this to happen.

* * *

Two more days passed, and they still didn't hear a word from Castiel or Gabriel. Dean sat at the kitchen table, her head propped up on one hand while she pushed a piece of pie around on the plate without appetite.

Bobby and Sam exchanged serious glances over the table. If Dean didn't like her pie, something was more than wrong.

"I thought I'd do you a favor there." Bobby murmured, gesturing toward the pie.

"Yeah, thanks Bobby." Dean murmured, staring at the pie.

Sam and Bobby exchanged another serious glance.

"You don't have to eat it." Sam suggested cautiously, carefully watching Dean's reaction.

Dean just kept pushing the pie around and muttered "I know Sam, I'm not a baby."

They sat in silence. Sam and Bobby tried to think of a way to cheer Dean up, but it was a lost cause. Bobby had already pulled out all the stops when he went to get Dean some pie. But not even that managed to cheer her up. Sam ruffled through his hair, at a loss. Dean's mood swings were bad enough as it was, but with Cas gone it got even worse. It was like poking the ice with every word he said.

"You know it doesn't bring Cas back if you make a sad face the whole day?" Bobby asked.

"I know." Dean finally lifted her gaze from the plate and looked at Bobby. "But this is his favorite kind of pie!"

Bobby was surprised. "Cas has a favorite kind of pie?"

He looked at Sam, but Sam shrugged, as surprised as he was. Dean didn't respond.

"Your angel can handle himself." Bobby said gently.

"I know." Dean muttered, looking down on her plate and shoving the pie around again. Sam leaned back, huffing tiredly.

"Dean, he's okay!" Sam insisted. Sam was also strained by the situation, and Dean seemed to forget completely that Sam's angel had gone awol also. It wasn't like much could actually harm an archangel, but Sam just couldn't help it. He was worried anyway.

"But he isn't here and I still haven't heard from him and... "

Dean got louder and more desperate with every word. She suddenly paused, the words stuck in her throat until she finally cried out.

"...and MY BABY DOESN'T LIKE PIE!"

Dean collapsed onto the table crying. Her whole body trembled from the sobs she couldn't stop from escaping her.

Sam and Bobby stared at Dean before they glanced at each other again.

"I really hope 'em angels come back soon, for our sake." Bobby commented. Sam nodded, sat down next to Dean, and awkwardly patted her back.

"Hey, Cas is flying around with an archangel. What could happen?"

"He's flying around with Gabriel, all kinds of screw-ups could happen!" Dean sobbed. Her words were muffled because her face was buried in her arms.

"That's not true!" Sam huffed.

Across the table, Bobby crossed his arms and sighed, exasperated.

Suddenly, the lights flickered off, but right back on. It happened so fast that Dean didn't even notice it, but the other two hunters had already jumped up and grabbed shotguns. The lights flickered again and a light bulb in the kitchen exploded.

"Get her in the panic room!" Bobby shouted.

Dean looked up - the little exploding light bulb had startled her enough to stop her crying. But she was still too worked up to think straight, so Sam decided the fastest way was to simply pick her up and carry her down.

"Hey, I'm not a baby!" Dean exclaimed angrily, but held onto Sam anyway, because she didn't want to be dropped. Sam instantly regretted his decision to pick her up his brother's full boobs pressed against his chest. Awkwardly, he hurried down, dropped her on the panic room bed, and got some steps in between them as fast as he could.

But the lights also flickered in the panic room.

"Whatever it is, it's down here too!" Sam called up.

"Check the sigils!" the older hunter's voice could be heard.

Sam immediately went to check the sigils. Dean still hadn't pulled herself fully together, but she did her best to stay calm. The old hunting instincts kicked in, and she managed to shove everything else aside for a moment and help Sam, while the turmoil still boiled inside her. Bobby joined them only a moment later.

"It calmed down up there right after you left." he said, cautiously looking around. The lights were still flickering in the panic room.

"The sigils look okay." Dean said. Her voice was still shaky, but she did her best to hide it. It wasn't much of an act. Everyone who knew Dean could easily see her uneasiness.

Bobby looked Dean up and down, scrubbing his beard thoughtfully. "Dean, why don't'cha come up with me. Sam, follow us after a minute."

Sam followed Bobby's gaze and a light bulb lit up visibly in his brain.

"Sure!" Sam said.

"Okay... ?" Dean said, looking confused from one to the other.

They both went up, and the lights were still flickering upstairs.

"Hey, you said it stopped here!" Dean complained.

"Yeah, it did. Just wait a minute, Dean."

Sam went up after a minute. "Calm as a summer breeze down there."

Sam and Bobby both stared at Dean.

"What?"

"It's you." Bobby stated.

"What? That's bullshit!" Dean shouted. That moment, another light bulb exploded. A window flew open suddenly and a gust of wind swept in the room, causing the curtains to fly and the papers on Bobby's desk to whirl around.

"Dean, you have a little angel in there." Sam explained. "You're all emotional, babies feel stuff like that."

"Bullshit. I'm not being emotional!"

"You were crying!" Sam insisted.

"We're NOT having this discussion!" Dean threw up her arms angrily. Two other light bulbs exploded at that moment. The wind picked up also, and it seemed to swirl around Dean.

Dean lowered her hands in defeat.

"I suggest you calm down now." Bobby suggested.

Dean just stood there for a moment, staring down at the floor, before she stormed up to her room.

* * *

Sam sighed and went up to look after Dean. He secretly glanced in her room to see her curled up on her bed, stroking her belly and singing Hey Jude quietly. She seemed to be trying to calm down not only her baby, but also herself. Her voice was still shaky, but she seemed to be on the right track. The lights flickered only lazily and the wind had died down.

Sam didn't want to disturb her, so he went to his own room. He flopped down on his bunk, sighing heavily. He missed Gabriel. Dean wasn't the only one concerned about the missing angels. But his brother had always been there for him, and now was his turn to be strong for his brother. So he ignored his own strain and tried to support Dean. She was climbing the walls and he owed her that much, and much more.

"Hey sweetheart! Long time no see."

Gabriel was standing in his door, holding a bottle of chocolate sauce in one hand and a bottle of lube in the other.

"Gabe!" Sam shouted, jumping of the bed and pulling Gabriel up into a fierce hug.

"Cas!" a high voice shrieked two doors down the hall.

Further down, the older hunter shook his head as he could hear two grown men (or rather a grown man and a girl that pretended to be a grown man) shrieking like little girls.

"Idjits" he muttered, but smiled fondly.

* * *

Bobby had to wait longer than he expected before the two couples finally appeared downstairs. He had expected that they would need a few moments. But really, he didn't want to know what took them so long. Dean was practically glued to Cas side when they finally appeared, arms slung around each other in an intimate way they didn't show often. Sam seemed relaxed, and Gabriel had his trademark mischievous smile playing on his lips.

"Okay, what took you so long to come back here, and why was this Balthazar here?" Bobby went right to business.

"Trouble's up." Gabriel stated seriously. The playful smirk was gone now.

"This Balthazar dude told us already. So what's up up there? I have to worry about my baby?" Dean asked worriedly.

"Heaven has plans for you, Dean." Cas explained gravely. "They do not approve of our child and they intend to take it from us."

"They're not getting my baby!" Dean exclaimed.

"They wanna take it, not kill it?" Bobby asked. "What do they wanna do with it?"

"Keep your mouth shut and let me explain!" Gabriel cut in. "Theoretically, angels can't have babies. The only way lil' baby angels are made is when daddy creates them. I bet you buckos know that much."

The hunters nodded.

"And now Cassie has gone, after screwing around with fate and free will and everything, and knocked this little mortal up. That made quite some waves upstairs. Some think Dean could be a new Mary. Others think it's against nature or whatever. But Raphael has decided to take advantage of the situation."

"How could Dean's baby be of any use to Raphael?" Sam asked, confused.

"I already told you that angels don't have babies! And a lot of us died recently. The apocalypse wasn't exactly fun, ya know?"

"We remember."

"We're pretty short in numbers. Raphael wants to make a full angel out of the baby and let it join the heavenly forces."

"Wait," Bobby said, "you're saying, basically, that there is a ĉhaway to make a seraph out of a nephil?"

"They think they can do it. But no one knows if it will work or if it will die in the process." Cas said darkly.

"Hey wait, why me?" Dean asked. "Why doesn't Raphael come down and knock up his own baby when he's so wild on the experiment?"

"'Cause it's not that easy, bucko! Nephilim shouldn't even be possible in the first place. You think our dad would hard wire us to fuck around like bunnies? Or like humans? You're one of a few, very rare cases, if not the only one. No one knows for sure. Not even I know how it works. But it's got something to do with true love and all that shit. I knew it would work with you and Cas."

Dean flustered considerably and looked down to the ground.

"Let's get back to the case." Bobby suggested. "You know already how they want to do it?"

"Not exactly, but I was able to pick up a few things. Not even ol' Raphie can keep a secret from God's messenger." Gabriel grinned. But he was serious when he continued.

"They need to rip apart what's soul and what's grace in whatever it is the baby's gonna have. They can't do it before it's born. But when it's born it's too late already. If they kill it after it's born, the soul-grace-whatever will die as it is and go to heaven, just like every other soul. We're not too sure about that, though. Maybe it's gonna be mortal, maybe not. But they think it'll work that way, so they need to kill it when it comes out of Dean or shortly after, while it is still weak. I think they first want to kill Dean to shatter the only bond the soul has to the mortal world, and then they will kill the baby. The birth will be so stressful on the baby that its soul will be weak. With the death of its mom in the same moment, it will be weak enough to shatter it, send the soul part upstairs to its mom and take what's left back to the garrison. It would never be as strong as a real angel. It would only be a weak excuse for an angel, but the mortal part would be gone so it would be like us in every other aspect."

Gabriel paused shortly before he continued.

"And if whatever's left is an agonized, crazed freak Raphie will kill it."

They sat silently for a moment, Gabriel's explanations hanging heavily over the group. Sam's face was a frown of pure horror, while Dean stared darkly at no point in particular. Even Bobby looked unsettled.

"I won't let that happen." Cas growled sternly. He took Dean's hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

Dean looked up into his hard, determined eyes. She held his gaze as she said just as sternly, "We won't let that happen."

"Okay." Bobby sighed. "Now that's that, but we also have another problem."

The angels looked at him curiously.

"The little one's already working its mojo."

Gabriel grinned. "So strong already?"

Neither of the angels seemed worried. Castiel just stared at Dean's belly in awe. Gabriel even seemed to look fond - although it was hard to tell with Gabriel if he was fooling or not.

"What did the lil' prankster do?"

"It seemed to feel Dean's outburst and started playing with the lights and made a mess of my table." Bobby answered, nodding at his table. The papers and books were still scattered everywhere around.

"I see." Castiel said softly. "I should be able to prevent something like this in the future."

"It can't zap out of my belly, right?" Dean suddenly asked, panic written all over her face.

"Don't be ridiculous, Dean-o!" Gabriel laughed. "What you saw was only a bit unconscious mojo-stretching. It can't do anything bigger than that for a bit longer."

"Cas, I have my ultrasound tomorrow. You'll come with me, right?" Dean asked.

Cas frowned. "What is an ultrasound?"

"The doctors take a look in my belly and show us a picture of our baby!" Dean explained, a happy smile on her face.

"I would like that." Cas smiled.

"Uhm, Dean, you do realize that you might not be able to have the baby like normal women?" Sam asked hesitantly. “You know, with going to a hospital for birth and everything?”

"That doesn't mean I can't do the tests!" Dean snapped.

"But they won't tell you anything." Bobby stated. "Nobody knows what's normal for a nephilim."

"Cas and I would notice if anything's wrong inside you, Dean-o."

Dean glared at them. "And if I wanna know what's it gonna be? You can tell me that, Gabriel?"

"Call it Gabriella when it's a girl!" Gabriel grinned.

* * *

Sam and Bobby stayed behind on the next day. They were all curious, but they realiszed it was something Dean and Cas should do alone. Gabriel stayed near them, but didn't come with them. He was looking out for other angels or anything else that could be after Dean.

Dean felt out of place as she sat down in the pink painted waiting hall of the gynecologist. The other women browsed through the provided styling magazines, looking bored. None of them seemed to be pregnant. They lost any sex-appeal they had in Dean's eyes when she considered why the women would come here.

She felt like she was sitting on needles, anxiously waiting for her turn. Thankfully, Cas was a quelling force of calmness and he squeezed her hand reassuringly. The whole hand-holding and showing affection in public thing was still new and just a little bit weird to Dean, but she liked it. Ever since that night in the bar, she didn't mind holding onto Cas in public anymore. When she was finally called, Dean first didn't realize it was her.

"Jenny Hendrix, please to examining room 3."

"Dean, I believe that is the name you used."

Dean shot up. Thankfully, the other women were focused deeply in their society and style magazines, so nobody noticed Cas' weird words. Dean was now even more restless than before. The doctor was already waiting in the room and smiled at her reassuringly.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Johnson. Please lay down on the bed."

The doctor was a blonde woman, around forty, and wore a genuine smile. She sat next to the bed and turned a screen so that Dean and Cas would be able to look at it.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as soon as Dean laid down on the examination table and Cas sat down next to it.

"Uh... weird." Dean answered, unsure what the doctor expected to hear. She wasn't sure what was normal for a woman and what not.

"Any nausea, or do you feel tired?"

"Yeah, nausea and tiredness. But I don't vomit that much anymore. Sometimes I totally feel like crap."

"That's nothing you need to be afraid of." The doctor said reassuringly. "Anything else?"

"Uh... Mood swings?" Dean sounded unsure and glanced at Cas. Cas nodded.

The doctor smiled. "That's also normal in your stage of the pregnancy. Now, would you pull up your shirt so I can take a look at your abdomen?"

Dean did as told and the doctor examined her belly, carefully pushing her fingers into it in a pattern Dean did not comprehend.

"Okay. It all feels good so far." The doctor smiled. She took out an ultrasonic device and lubed it.

"Now we're gonna take a look at it, okay? This might feel a little cold."

She placed the device on Dean's belly and moved it slowly from left to right, looking at the screen. Dean turned her head to look at the screen and stared in awe. There, in the dark haze of the ultrasonic picture, a small form was visible.

The doctor saw the awestruck stares of the pair and smiled gently. "Look here." she suggested and pointed at the screen. "Your baby is going to be a girl."

Dean took in a deep, shaky breath. She turned to look at Cas, who stared at the screen with wide blue eyes.

"We're going to have a girl!" she said happily, her voice almost breaking with the intensity of her feelings.

Cas smiled back and squeezed her hand.

"Funny." the doctor suddenly said, looking at the screen again. "This shade here almost looks like wings." she joked, pointing at a shade above the baby's back.

"Let's hope your little girl will be an angel." she said, smiling broadly. "You don't need to be concerned about that, though. What we a're seeing there is the placenta."

Dean's and Cas' gazes where glued back to the screen. Dean's eyes were wide in astonishment and she forgot to close her mouth. The shade really looked like it was coming out of the babiey's back, but she couldn't see any details. It was only a dark shade on the ultrasoundnic screen. But still, the sight of her baby, and the thought that it might have wings, moved something deep down within Dean.

"Is everything all right?" the doctor asked, concerned, after a moment. She had not expected such a strong reaction to her little joke.

Dean swallowed. "Yeah, everything's..." she paused shortly, looking at the screen again with moist eyes. "fine." Finally, a smile spread on her face that was as blissfully happy as the one on Cas' face.

"Good. I'll print the picture out for you." The doctor said, smiling. This was one of the moments she loved about her job. She removed the device from Dean's belly and handed her some paper towels to clean herself. When Dean was finished, the picture was printed already and the doctor shook their hands and wished them the best.

As soon as Dean and Cas were out of the building and out of sight of other people, Dean wrapped her arms around Cas and kissed him happily.

"A girl, Cas!" she repeated blissfully. Cas hugged her tightly, but was careful about her belly.

"We should go home." Cas said, concerned as Dean didn't want to let go of him. "It's not safe here."

"Okay." Dean admitted. She pulled out the picture and looked at it once more before she drove them home in the Impala.

* * *

Sam immediately hurried out of the house as he heared the Impala halt in the yard. Bobby followed more calmly. Dean was nosn't even fully out of the car when Sam bombarded her with questions.

"So, what's it? When's it gonna come? Did everything look all right? Did you get a picture?"

"Woah, woah, cool down, Sammy." Dean smiled, closing the car door.

"It's Sam."

"I'm having a girl!" Dean said happily. Sam smiled broadly.

"Congrats, you two!"

Cas came around the car and stood next to Dean, draping his arm around her and smiling at her fondly. Dean leaned into the touch naturally. Sam was amazed how easy and happy they looked together, how normal their open affection had become. It had been a long road for them. Dean pulled out the picture and showed it to Sam and Bobby. She pointed at the dark shade and said, "My baby girl is gonna have wings."

Sam frowned. "Dean, that's only a dark shade. Could mean nothing."

"Of course it's only a shade! You ever seen actual, materialiszed angel wings?" Dean insisted.

"Well, if she's gonna have real wings, that's gonna be one hell of a problem to explain." Bobby pondered.

"You think our wings are no't real?" Gabriel chimed in.

Sam turned to Gabriel. "You think her wings could be visible to us?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Hell if I know. Wait and see. Maybe Cas and I might be able to do something about it if it's gonna be a problem."

"Did the doctor say anything else?" Bobby asked.

"No. Everything seems to be fine." Dean said and started grinning again.

Sam suddenly stared at Dean in wonder.

"Hey, uhm, guys, don't you see something?"

Bobby turned to Dean. "I'll be damned."

Gabriel smirked.

"What's the matter?" Dean asked, confused.

"Uhm... there's light shining out of your eyes... and mouth..." Sam stuttered. It was hard to see in the bright day, but it was there.

"Everything is fine, Dean. Our baby is happy because you are." Castiel said solemnly, still smiling at her.

"Dean with a halo. Never thought I was gonna see that." Gabriel laughed.

"That's gonna go away again, right?" Dean asked.

"Yes." Castiel answered.

* * *

The next days were spent with research to find additional ways to block unwelcome angels from the house and the area around it. Dean didn't want to be limited to the house. Castiel explained to them that Balthazar had put up a powerful spell that would block any angel that weasnren't Gabriel or himself.

Since Dean wasn't allowed to go far unless it was absolutely necessary, Sam and Bobby went shopping for all baby stuff they hadn't picked yet. Dean's mood swings got better again, but the cravings didn't stop. Her belly was big and round now, unmistakably showing off the baby. Dean spent the majority of the time lounging on the couch. Strolling around was getting tiredsome with the additional pounds of the baby and the aching back.

Lounging on the couch was exactly what she was doing when Sam and Bobby came back from the last baby stuff shopping trip. Sam hesitated a moment before he entered the study. Dean was singing again, but this was not Hey, Jude.

"Oh, take your time, don't live too fast  
Troubles will come and they will pass

Dean looked up when Sam stepped in, but didn't stop singing. By now, she didn't care what Sam thought about it anymore, and kept happily singing along to the sound of Bobby's old player.

Go find a woman and you'll find love  
And don't forget, son, there is someone up above...

And be a simple kind of man  
Oh, be something you love and understand..."

When Dean sung the refrain, Sam finally recogniszed it as Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man. Sam grinned as he dropped the shopping bags on the table and wrinkled his forehead.

"Someone up above? Seriously, dude?"

"Hey, I didn't write the lyrics! And well, there's Cas... and Gabe... I guess..."

Dean trailed off embarrassed. She jumped up then and strolled over to the shopping bags.

"So, no Hey Jude anymore?" Sam asked.

"I think she got bored of that one." Dean answered. "She kicked me when I started it. So, what've you got?"

Dean peered into one of the shopping bags.

"A pink car seat?!" she exclaimed.

Sam frowned and looked into the bag. "It was blue when we took it."

"Gabriel, you son of a bitch!" Dean complained.

"Don't get your jollies in a twist." Gabriel grinned from the doorway.

"Turn it back!" Dean demanded.

"Okay. But that was totally worth it." Gabriel chuckled. He snapped his fingers before he disappeared again. Dean looked into the bag and was satisfied to see a black seat.


	4. Chapter 4

The next days passed quietly. Sam and Bobby didn't leave for hunts anymore. They had no idea what the angels were planning, and didn't want to take any risks. From time to time, angels could be seen lurking around at the border of the junkyard, searching for a weakness in the barrier, or just watching them. The growing insecurity strained everyone, and even Gabriel didn't joke around as much.

After a few days, Gabriel and Cas left to check up with Balthazar on the situation in heaven.

"Raphael still doesn't speak openly about his plans." Balthazar informed them.

"How many supporters does he have?" Castiel asked.

Balthazar sighed. "It's hard to tell. They don't really trust me, you know. Everyone knows we're friends. But his group of supporters seems to be rather small. Not many want to pick a side as long as it remains unclear what Michael thinks of it. Especially after that surprising thing Michael pulled lately."

"Nobody's talked to Michael?" Gabriel asked in bewilderment. 

"No - at this point, I think he's is still oblivious."

"We gotta talk to him!" Gabriel insisted, "It's not like this is dad's plan. He wouldn't support Raphie!"

"But would he support us?" Castiel asked, concerned. "My child doesn't fit in our Father's plan either."

"We don't know that." Gabriel stated, leveling Cas with one of his more serious looks. "Dad is obviously okay with you and Dean. That little bun wouldn't exist otherwise. Michael knows that. Fighting against a rogue angel is one thing - but Michael would never allow one of us to harass another. And Raphie is clearly overstepping his boundaries."

Cas pondered for a moment. If anyone knew their oldest brother, it must be Gabriel. Michael's devotion was legendary amongst angels. He had always been a good and wise ruler in heaven, until the apocalypse. Even now, most angels still looked up to him, even after the whole apocalypse mess. Cas still didn't understand why Michael had suddenly changed his opinion in Stull Cemetery. One moment, his oldest brother still wanted to fight Lucifer in an apocalyptic battle. Castiel had molotoved him, forcing Lucifer's rage and his death. When he was resurrected, Michael had kneeled over Cas, staring at him intensely. The look on his brothers face was bewildered, something Cas had never expected to see.

"It's Gods will. I see the way now," was all that Michael said. After that, they had kicked Lucifer's ass back into the cage together.

After that, Michael knew that his way had been wrong. He did not so much understand his mistake as he knew for sure his actions were wrong. 

Castiel considered that it was probably the time to forgive Michael for forcing the apocalypse. In the end, he had made the right choice. Castiel still couldn't claim he understood a thing about the sudden change, and Gabriel refused to explain. The knowing look on Gabriel's face told him that the archangel knew more about it than anyone else. Their Father had forgiven him, or Michael wouldn't still sit on the throne of heaven. It was not his place to judge their Father's decision. Maybe, if Michael would help them, there was a chance to solve this situation without bloodshed.

"Very well. We should bring our case to Michael." Castiel turned his head back to Balthazar. "But first, tell us what else you found out. Have you found allies?"

"I didn't find out more about Raphael's plans than you know already. But there are quite a few who are shocked about what Raphael plans. Muriel is totally worked up about it. You know how emotional she can get. Rachel, Liwet and some others also offered their help. And... curiously, I couldn't reach Anna."

"Muriel?" Castiel asked surprised. "She is not a warrior."

"Yeah, but having her on our side is a big plus." Gabriel grinned. "Raphael's goons are okay to fight against the random seraph or me, 'cause I'm rogue," he said, sarcastically emphasizing the rogue, "but they might hesitate if they see good ol' Murie on our side."

Castiel nodded, silently agreeing, although he didn't like the idea of drawing her into a battle. But if she agreed to help, it was not his place to question.

"Thank you, Balthazar." he said.

"You know, Cassie, if we can't get this hard-head to see reason, I can still call a few of my other friends for help." Gabriel offered.

"As long as there is still a chance to resolve this situation without bloodshed, we should try to achieve it." Cas said solemnly. 

Gabriel smiled at Cas. He was proud that his little brother still had so much faith, even after everything that had happened. But how could he not? Some of Gabriel's own long lost faith had came back, along with newfound trust in his older brother.

"I don't think there's a chance." he said anyway, sounding as nonchalant as ever.

Castiel didn't reply to that. "I think we should go and see Michael now. Balthazar, thank you for your help. But I must ask one more thing of you."

"Shoot."

"Could you go to Bobby Singer's house and look after the Winchesters until we are back?"

Balthazar smirked and shook his head. "I don't really understand you anymore, Cassie. What is it you see in those humans?"

"They are very important to me. They are my friends." Cas answered, deep and solemn.

"Okay." Balthazar sighed. "I'll look after your little pets."

* * *

Crowley took a deep breath of the dusty air in Singer's Salvage Yard. Annoyed, he looked down at his dress shoes and found them full of sand. He patted a little bit of dust from his suit before he continued walking toward the house, two demons walking next to him on either side. 

Crowley saw a single angel stare at him from the border of the yard. Crowley sent a triumphant smirk in his direction. The angel ward around this house was really powerful. Crowley directed his gaze back to the house, concentrating on his impressive approach. Raphael was a fool. He had given away his plan much too soon, and now the Winchesters were prepared already. He stopped a few yards, a safe distance, from the house. 

"I'd like to speak with all of you." He called out calmly. 

Bobby and Sam appeared in the door, covering Dean who was behind them, looking over Bobby's shoulder. Bobby held Ruby's demon knife in his hand, while Sam and Dean were gripping tight onto angel blades. 

"Well, well," Crowley said, smiling his trademark snide smile as he looked at them. "Who do we have here? Dean, it's a pleasure to meet you again. Why don't you come out so we can shake hands properly?"

Dean stared at him darkly.

"What the hell do you want?"

"No?" Crowley asked with mock dismay. "You Winchesters are always so discourteous. Very well. I'm here to propose a business deal."

"Why should we trust you?" Dean asked. Unconsciously, one of her hands slipped down and wrapped around her belly, as if to shield it from Crowley.

"Yeah," Bobby grumbled. "I remember very well ya didn't plan to give my soul back."

"You should read your contracts better, Mr. Singer. Really, a shame that didn't work out. Very... unfortunate." Crowley sighed. "Anyway, you should know that I am very reasonable."

"We can at least hear him out. I want to know what he wants." Bobby suggested. 

Dean and Sam frowned. They didn't like it, but they nodded.

"I'm here to offer protection. Yes, I know what you think, you don't believe me. But I've also heard the rumors." Crowley looked at Dean seriously. "And I can see they are true. It is not in my interests that the angels get that baby. You see, it would be bad for business."

"Just like that?" Dean asked. "I don't trust you."

"Of course not like that!" Crowley answered. "Don't be ridiculous. You don't have to trust me. You only have to believe that I despise Raphael more than I hate you. This time, I'm on your side. There's more power in that baby than your tiny human brains can imagine. If Raphael gets it, it would be disastrous for us all! You've put up quite an impressive protection spell, but do you really think a simple spell can hold off all the angels when the time comes?"

"No!" Dean barked. "I'm not gonna trust you with this!"

Crowley sighed. "The offer stands." he said diplomatically. "You know how to call me when you decide to see reason."

Suddenly, Crowley turned his head in one direction and raised his eyebrows. "Until the next time, Winchesters."

Balthazar appeared between Crowley, who was retreating already, and the Winchesters. 

"You have an odd choice of friends." He commented.

"I thought no angels except Cas and Gabriel could come here." Bobby said.

Balthazar smirked. "You think I would keep myself out? I'm the only angel not in love with a Winchester who can come here."

"That's reassuring" Bobby grumped sarcastically, before turning to go back to the house.

* * *

Castiel and Gabriel found Michael in his own place in heaven. Michael's heaven was a healthy, green forest, with bright light shining through the branches. The undisturbed, primeval nature seemed to glow in the warm light. 

Michael was sitting on a fallen log, spanning over a peaceful river that cut its way through the never ending green. He was watching the river, lost in thought. It seemed that he was musing about something of great importance.

"Gabriel." he greeted. He seemed surprised to see the youngest of the archangels. "What caused your return here?"

Gabriel smirked. "What, I can't go home to see my favorite bro?"

Michael snorted. He knew it was a hollow phrase, spoken from Gabriel just like that. Castiel looked at Gabriel, but remained silent for now. It was better to let Gabriel handle this. 

Michael sighed deeply and stood up on his log. He looked at his brothers The serious expression on his face told them that he had something important to tell them. 

"Gabriel." he said, significantly looking at him, before turning his gaze to Castiel.

"Castiel." 

Michael remained silent for a moment, before he spoke up to both. "You both have learned something very important down on earth. Something I still don't understand."

A pang of regret made its way into Michael's features. He looked at Gabriel, and there was respect in his eyes. Gabriel had understood it all so long before any of the others had even thought about it.

"That our Father wants us to make our own decisions. Live our lives, so to speak. And more importantly, for none of us to abuse the power that comes with this responsibility."

Michael seemed troubled. Neither Gabriel nor Castiel could begrudge him. Their oldest brother had spent his whole life living out their Father's plan, caring about the angels and the fate of the humans with so much devotion that it could be called michaelism. Now, his responsibility was even greater. He didn't have a plan anymore that he could simply follow. He had to make decisions. Decisions that could affect every angel, every human and every supernatural being. And Michael had thought he was doing a good thing to humanity with the apocalypse. That he would bring peace to all of them by taking them to heaven. He knew now that he couldn't have been more wrong. He didn't feel ready for this position anymore. He loved every being so much that he was afraid of making such a great mistake again.

"I need to learn it." Michael admitted, his words strong and without shame. Even now, when he was asking for help, he had the sure expression of a leader. "As most other angels need to learn it. We will need your help."

Gabriel stepped forward, an unusual solemn expression on his face. "Michael," he said, with all the earnestness that came with millennia of existence, a tone of voice that he almost never used, but was very capable of; "there is a reason why you're still at your post. Dad wants you there. Because you care. You think about what you do before you do it. You're not a blind soldier. The only difference now is you're not fulfilling dad's plans anymore. You fulfill your own. Wish for something and follow your heart"

Michael stared back at Gabriel, and he seemed to completely lack understanding.

Gabriel snorted. "You don't even know how to wish for something. That's great. But the way I know you, you wish for everyone to live a happy, secure life, right?"

Michael nodded, considering.

"You'll get the hang of it eventually." Gabriel said nonchalantly. "I'll help you, but not right now. We're having some problems downstairs. That's what we came to talk to you about."

"I'm listening."

"Well, Cas is building a little family down there." Gabriel told him, "And Raphael wants to hijack Cas' baby."

Michael didn't look surprised in the slightest little bit, but his frown was worried. He exchanged a knowing glance with Gabriel before his eyes trailed back to Cas. It seemed like Michael knew already what had to be done. "Dean Winchester is the mother?"

"Yes." Cas answered solemnly.

Michael still didn't seem surprised, not even that the mother was a guy.

"What are Raphael's plans?"

Castiel answered. His deep, gravelly voice was grim, but he spoke with intensity. "He wants to break the soul and grace apart to create an angel out of the grace only. To achieve that, he needs to kill Dean, as he needs to kill the mortal flesh and the soul of my child. I do not intend to let that happen."

Michael was silent for a moment, holding Castiel's intense stare. He finally broke the contact by shaking his head. 

"Raphael does not understand." he said. "He does understand the responsibility. He's like a child, playing with everything within his reach, not aware of right or wrong." 

"Will you help us?" Castiel asked, still staring at Michael. 

"I can't go down to earth without a vessel." Michael answered, "But I will do up here what I can to help you."

"Thank you." Castiel said. A load fell off his shoulders. Michael's intense gaze fixed on him once more. 

"This baby is a symbol, Castiel. You need to keep it safe."

"I will." Castiel answered, his voice deep and sure.

* * *

The Winchesters were already eagerly waiting for their angels' return. 

"So, what's up in heaven?" Dean asked instantly, right after Cas settled down next to her with a flutter of wings. She didn't miss a beat to drape her arm around Cas' middle and lean against him. Balthazar made a show of rolling his eyes at them, before pointedly taking off with loud beating wings.

"Michael can't help us. But we found other allies." he answered in his usual flat gravel. One of his hands settled on Dean's thigh.

"Can't?" Sam prompted curiously.

"Can't do nothin' without a vessel." Gabriel shrugged. "Same problem, different story. He might try to chat Raphie up, but I doubt that'll help."

"Gabriel, is there something you are not telling us?" Castiel inquired suddenly.

"Me?" Gabriel asked, with the most innocent expression he could muster. "Why should I try to hide anything from you, Cassie, my favorite little bro?"

Gabriel found himself on the receiving end of one of Cas' death glares.

"Michael never questioned the baby." Cas pointed out. "It seemed more like he saw this coming. Gabriel, how is that possible? How could he be so sure?"

Gabriel grinned and shrugged. "Hey, that's super-secret Archangel business, okay? No need to poke your nose in."

"Gabriel, you might wanna explain that, for your own safety!" Dean growled angrily. 

Gabriel looked at Dean, smirking. "What'cha gonna do? Poke me with a stick? 'Cause that worked so well the last time." 

Gabriel looked around and saw the glowering faces of everyone. He finally sighed in defeat. 

"Okay, okay. No harm in telling. So, Mike and me might have known the baby was gonna come, okay? But nothin' more 'cept that, I swear."

"So, you're saying," Sam chimed in now, his brow furrowing in concentration, "that fate still has us on a short leash?"

"Kinda?" Gabriel answered, shrugging playfully. "You know, my dad works in..."

"Finish that sentence and I'll tear your hide." Dean fussed.

"Hey!" Gabriel complained. "You're getting your baby, so what's your problem? If I hadn't known, I might have never even considered it worth trying! I told you before, not even I know for sure if there has ever been a nephil before."

"You sure you know nothin' more?" Bobby inquired, his arms crossed in front of his chest and a look on his face that clearly said don't dick with my boys.

"Nothin'. But I can tell you one thing: This is not some weird play like the apocalypse was. We just knew she was coming." 

The lie flew through his mouth without the slightest problem. If he and Michael knew a few things more, they really didn't need to share it with the crowd. They would find out, one day.

The Winchesters, including all attachments consisting of Bobby and Cas, still stared at him, not really believing a word he said. But nobody said anything, knowing they had no chance of getting Gabriel to talk if he didn't want to. Gabriel knew already that Sam would try the puppy dog eyes on him later in the bedroom.

The moment was broken when one of Bobby's phones rang. Grumbling, he went over to the phone. It was the one that was not labeled with any official instances, so he just grumped an unfriendly "What?" into the speaker. Gabe took the distraction as his cue to hightail out. No need to stick around if everyone was smoldering at him. Bobby listened to the other end of the phone intently. After a while, one hand went up to scrub his face and pinch the bridge of his nose.

"You got any idea where they'd taken her?"

There was a pause as Bobby listened again to whoever was speaking at the other end of the line.

"Okay, thanks for telling me." Bobby finally said, and hung up.

The boys stared at him curiously. 

"What's up?" Sam asked, frowning. "That didn't sound like a regular call."

"Trouble's up." Bobby answered. He looked directly at Cas when he continued. "You remember that family you broke apart, boy? They're missing. Demons, as far as we know."

Everyone stared at Bobby in shock. 

"I do not understand how they found them." Castiel finally said, lowering his gaze to the floor. Dean saw his jaw clench, a tiny movement, but it gave away Cas' worry and guilt. She snuck her free hand to where Cas' was laying on her thigh and laced their fingers together. 

"Neither do I." Bobby said. "We had them under witness protection."

"We need to free them." Castiel deadpanned.

"Sure, but how do we find them?" Sam asked. "Didn't you engrave her bones?"

"There's a link between an Angel and his vessel that is stronger than any magic. Claire still prays to me. The next time she prays, I'm going to find her."

"Claire is praying to you?" Dean asked incredulously. "You didn't think that was worth mentioning?"

"Why?" Cas asked. "A lot of people pray to me. You would be surprised how many."

"So you can feel where she is when she prays to you?" Sam inquired curiously.

"No." Castiel answered.

Dean stared at Cas, worried.

"What do you wanna do?" she asked.

"I'm going to ask her." Cas stated matter-of-factly.

"What, you wanna jump her bones again?" Dean exclaimed. "You can't do that! It's a trap! And what about... this body? Will you be able to come back?"

"Dean, I have put Jimmy's family in danger. It is my responsibility to find and free them. The only way to find her in a short amount of time is to use her as vessel."

"But Jimmy's dead, right?" Sam inquired. "What happens with your body?"

"You need to keep it safe."

Dean gaped at him. "But, Cas!" was the only thing her worried brain was able to produce, while all the alarm bells in her brain rung loudly.

"Don't worry, Dean." Cas said solemnly, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "I'll be right back."

"We should prepare anyway, just in case" Bobby stated. He nodded at Sam to follow him and Dean was left alone with her angel for a moment. She stared into his eyes, but didn't say anything. She knew the decision was made, and she knew they had to free Claire and her mother. In any other situation, she would be the first one to grab her stuff, throw it into the Impala and head out. But now, all she could do was watch while Cas embraced the danger and she couldn't do a thing to protect him. It made her sick.

Cas was just going to jump her bones, smite some demons and come right back. She just hated letting him go alone. So much could go wrong. 

"You do that and come right back to me, babe." she finally said and leaned over to kiss him.

* * *

Sam and Bobby set out medical monitors in the panic room. Sam could only wonder at all the contacts Bobby had. It hadn't taken long and everything was there and ready. Castiel lay down on the small bunk in the panic room, looking up at Dean. Dean grabbed his hand and squeezed it while she held his gaze.

"This equipment will not be necessary." Cas announced.

"I'm not taking any chances." Bobby responded.

"I hear Claire's voice. The time has come. Close your eyes." Cas instructed. Dean waited with closing her eyes, watching as the wave of celestial intent started to seep out of the body that she had always viewed as Cas'. Curiously, the light didn't hurt her eyes, at least not this time. She raised her hand to touch the light, but she only stroked through thin air. The light wavered toward her and it seemed as if it was stroking over her cheek before pulling back and disappearing. She didn't feel anything, but there was a phantom tingle in her cheek.

When Dean looked down, the body on the bunk was still and lifeless. It was painfully, somehow, to know it wasn't Cas' real face. The blue eyes were open, but there was no life in them.

"Dude, did you just watch Cas..." Sam asked, but trailed off as he saw the expression on his brother's face. Her brows were knitted in the angry frown Dean always wore when she was worrying over someone. He waited a moment to give his brother some room while she still stared down into the lifeless eyes of her boyfriend. Sam finally moved his hands to close the eyes. It seemed too much like closing the eyes of the dead.

"His eyes dry out if we don't close them" Sam explained weakly, sounding apologetic. Dean didn't say a word and still stared down at the body.

"He'll be back" Sam said, but he knew they couldn't be sure. They could never be sure of anything.

"I know." Dean pressed out, and it sounded much too sure to be honest.

"Whoever hijacked Claire, I'll bet Cas will smite their asses, and if he doesn't I'll come and kick them!" Dean announced, finally tearing her eyes up to look at Sam.

Sam humored her with a smile. No way Dean was going to do anything like that soon. "Yeah, for sure!" he said anyway.

In the meanwhile, Bobby started busying around to make sure the body stayed alive. He suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, but extended two fingers to feel the pulse at the neck.

"Huh. His heart's still beating." Bobby wondered.

Suddenly, the body moved. A hand went up to scrub at the face while a low groan escaped the mouth. The Winchesters jumped back in shock, Dean finally letting go of the hand. Dean recognized the groan wasn't one of Cas' immediately.

"Jimmy?" Dean exclaimed, brows furrowing in disbelief. "We thought you were a goner!"

Jimmy sat up slowly, still rubbing his face.

"Yeah, it's me." he said, and the change in his voice was unmistakable. Instead of Cas' deep gravel, it sounded much softer and melodic.

"God, my head hurts like bitch." Jimmy murmured and finally dropped his hands to look at the Winchesters. The bright blue eyes looked so oddly familiar, but the expression in them was so different. Dean's jaw hung open slightly, while Sam and Bobby stared at him with similar faces of disbelief.

"Jimmy, no offense, but... we thought you were dead." Sam asked, an incredulous frown in place.

"Yeah, I was." Jimmy answered simply. "Cas just asked me to keep my... his body warm."

"Oh." was all Sam was able to produce. 

"You gonna stay in there?" Dean exclaimed suddenly, and it sounded much more repulsed than intended. It wasn't that Dean had a problem with Jimmy... but she had a big problem with Jimmy sharing Cas' body. There was no fucking way it couldn't screw up what she had with Cas.

"No, you don't need to worry." Jimmy responded, looking up at her, annoyed. "I'm through. I'm just doing Cas a favor here."

Jimmy fixed Dean with a pointed look. "Didn't you look a bit different the last time we met?"

"Uh... well, that's a long story." Dean blocked it off defensively.

"Okay." Jimmy said, gaze now travelling from one to the other. "Now can I have some pain killers? I have the mother of all headaches. And some tea would be great, my throat is killing me!"

* * *

Dean and Jimmy sat down across from each other at the kitchen table. Sam leaned in the doorway, too curious to leave, but also not feeling confident enough to intrude in this awkward situation. Bobby busied himself searching for pain medication and making some tea. Dean continued to stare at Jimmy, stare at everything that wasn't Jimmy, and glance back at him again.

"I'm making you uncomfortable." Jimmy observed matter-of-factly.

"No!" Dean insisted, starting to stammer. "This is just weird. I mean, even weird for our standards. Which aren't exactly high..."

Jimmy swallowed down the painkillers that Bobby placed in front of him and leaned back in his seat, contemplating Dean for a moment. Dean squirmed in his seat, uncomfortably, while Jimmy seemed to be totally at peace with the world.

"Cas knocked you up?" he suddenly asked, sounding much too relaxed for Dean's taste.

Dean blinked. "How do you know?"

"Not hard to guess. Cas asked me for permission."

Dean literally gaped at Jimmy. Sam stifled a laugh behind Jimmy's body.

"He asked you for permission to have a baby?" Dean sputtered out. Of all the weird things in her life, this was the icing on the cake.

"No, not exactly." Jimmy said, looking down at his hands and tracing the lines of his fingers. He probably wondered where those fingers had been.

"He asked me for permission to fool around."

"With me?" Dean couldn't help but ask.

"No." Jimmy answered, folding his hands in his lap. He looked back at Dean and the little tilt of his head was far too familiar.

"He didn't say a name, but it was pretty clear who he was thinking about. I saw it coming the whole time."

"And... you're okay with it?" Dean asked. The whole situation made her highly uncomfortable, but she had to ask.

Jimmy shrugged. "I'm dead, remember? I told him it's his body now, he can do whatever he wants."

Dean fucking loved Jimmy. But she was too weirded out and shocked to say anything intelligent.

"I didn't expect to ever meet you like that. I am dead and all. It's... kinda weird." Jimmy said, looking down at his hands again. He started picking at his nails. Obviously, he wasn't as comfortable as Dean had first thought.

Jimmy took a sip of his tea then, ignoring the way Dean was still gaping at him, and observed the room, as if the discussion they were having wasn't the weirdest in the world. Dean remembered that Jimmy probably hadn't seen anything besides his heaven in a long while.

"It's working out?" Jimmy probed, after a while of sitting in silence.

"Yeah..." Dean muttered, flushing slightly. "I guess."

"Good." Jimmy responded, and it sounded honest. It only bewildered Dean even more.

"Jimmy, I hate to ask it like this, but... why do you care? Cas hijacked your ass, forced your family out of the apple-pie-life you had, and got you killed. Shouldn't you be pissed at him or somethin'?"

Jimmy shook his head with an amused smile. "I wasn't exactly aware in there... most of the time, anyway... but I know what Cas did. I know Cas. Probably better than you. I know he's a good guy and he deserves a bit of happiness."

"Okay." Dean responded weakly. She was feeling squirmy again, and when she continued it was almost too quiet to hear. "Thanks, ya know?"

"Don't!" Jimmy said sternly, raising his finger in a gesture he had probably used to scold Claire. "You're okay, Dean, but I do this for Cas."

Dean didn't say another word. Moment's over. But now, after their little talk, she held much more respect for Castiel's vessel. It was easy to forget there was another man behind the meatsuit.

"Okay." Dean said again and stood up from her stool. "I gotta take care of some things now."

Jimmy nodded. "You guys take care of my baby, okay?" he suddenly said.

"Hey, it's not your baby!" Dean exclaimed, slinging an arm around her belly. But looking at Jimmy, she wasn't too sure. It was his DNA, after all.

But Jimmy just rolled his eyes. "I meant Claire. Cas told me why we have to do this stunt."

"Oh. Ok. Sure thing, Jimmy." 

Awkward. Dean's retreat from the kitchen felt too much like running away. She needed some time in her room to process the whole Jimmy issue, and maybe take a look into one of the dreaded pregnancy companions while Cas couldn't catch her looking. She couldn't help but feel restless. It wouldn't be long anymore until her girl came.

* * *

Claire was rolled into a small ball on a tiny and dirty bunk when she finally heard an answer to her prayers.

"Castiel?" she asked, surprised, but slapped her hand on her mouth as she realized she had spoken out loud. She looked around, and thankfully, none of her captors were in the room.

Yes, Claire, it's me. I'm sorry they found you.

"What happened to mom?"

She's not with you?

"No." Claire answered and shook her head. "The demons, I think it was demons, only wanted to get me. One of them slapped mom, and she fell down. I think she was unconscious."

We are going to find her. But first, I need to free you and find out why they are holding you captive. 

"How?" Claire asked. "You're not here."

You have to let me in.

There was a long moment in which Claire didn't respond. Castiel waited patiently, until Claire finally spoke up.

"Okay."

She braced herself to retreat to the backseat, as Castiel slipped in. The feeling was peculiarly familiar, and she couldn't help but admit that she had missed Cas a bit. She had not been awake when he had been in her the first time, but she remembered him.

It wasn't Claire who opened her eyes a few moments later. Castiel looked carefully around for a moment. The room was decorated with Enochian sigils all over. Light was falling in through only one tiny window, otherwise the room was dark. Castiel tried to stay up, but ropes were holding her in place. A little stretch of her mojo, and the ropes fell off Claire's slender body. Castiel stood up and searched the room for anything that could give a hint to the identity of Claire's attackers.

Claire? he finally asked in his thoughts, waking up the second presence in his head.

Yes?

Do you know why they took you?

No idea.

Hm. This is odd. Do you remember them saying anything?

No, sorry, they didn't talk English. But some others ambushed my first captors and stole me!

I see. 

What? Claire asked impatiently in her head. What do they want, Castiel?

I do not know their plans, but I have a suspicion why demons and angels might be after you.

Why?

Because you are my vessel. 

They're after you? Didn't you kinda walk into a trap here?

They are after someone I hold very dear.

Dean.

I will explain everything when there is more time.

Okay. But keep me up to date, alright?

Yes, Claire. I will.

Castiel felt a presence nearing. She sat down fast on the bed and willed the ropes to be secure around her body again while she put Claire back to sleep. When the door swung open, she was surprised by a tall, red-haired angel strolling into the room. Anna.

Anna held a tray with food and drink in her hand and set it down beside Castiel. Castiel kept staring at no point in particular in front of her. Anna hesitated for a moment, staring down at the little girl's body.

"Castiel?" She asked suddenly. In a movement too fast to follow with her eyes, Castiel willed the ropes to fall off, her angel blade into existence and attacked her former boss. Anna blocked fast enough, though.

"Cas, I'm not your enemy! Stop!" she exclaimed, but Castiel attacked her again with fast strokes of her blade. Between parry and attack, Anna tried again to convince her.

"Castiel, you can't simply fly away from here! Hear me out!"

Their blades collided once more, and Anna shoved Castiel's small form away from her. "Cas, just listen for a minute!"

"What is it you want, Anna?" Cas hissed through Claire's teeth. 

Anna locked her eyes with those of her brother. They had both fought for so long at each other's side, and she regretted what happened during the apocalypse. She hated that she had been forced to fight against him. 

"Cas, I'm not your enemy. I'm here to help you. Raphael still thinks I want your hide because of what happened during the apocalypse, but it's not true. Things were different back then."

"You're holding my vessel prisoner." Cas stated.

Anna nodded. "I'm a double agent. I'm trying to find out about Raphael's plans. I have to play along to gain their trust. Raphael's plans are sick. Cas, you know me, it's against everything I believe in."

"Raphael does not understand." Castiel stated, choosing exactly the same words Michael had used.

They looked at each other for a long moment. 

"I have long forgiven you, Castiel, for taking me back to the garrison. It's the time to forgive and forget all that happened during the apocalypse. I regret trying to kill Sam."

"I understand your reasons." Castiel answered, "I probably would have acted the same way in your position."

"I know. But that doesn't make it right."

"I never begrudged you for this. I only regret that we were enemies."

Anna slightly shook her head as she smiled at her fondly, remembering Castiel's actions. She had protected Sam because he was a friend. It made her so proud of her. "You've changed so much, Castiel."

"I'm not sure if I changed for the better." Castiel answered honestly.

"You have. It's obvious. I probably have to thank Dean for that."

Castiel tilted Claire's head and smiled. "Yes. The last time you saw me, it was him who taught me free will. Today, I have learned to dream. To wish for things that are not related to my battles." 

Cas' gaze traveled off, thinking about Dean. Her features softened instantly and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She finally turned his head back to Anna as she said solemnly, "And I learned it also from Dean."

"I wonder what you will have learned the next time I see you." Anna smiled, laughter sparking in her eyes. "Castiel - you can count on me. I'm happy for you and Dean."

"Thank you, Anna."

Anna turned serious as she spoke up again. "Okay, we have to get you out of here without compromising me."

"Will Claire be safe with you if I fly back?"

"No. And no, you can't."

"I can't?" 

Cas stretched her wings, and she realized that she couldn't leave the vessel. 

"What have they done to Claire?"

"It's binding magic." Anna explained. "They want to capture your baby's grace in Claire's body to shatter soul and grace when they kill her. She's a vessel, she can't contain another soul, just grace."

"I see." Castiel said, considering.

"As long as I stay in Claire, my baby will be safe."

Anna though for a moment and nodded. "There can't be two angels in one body. But we still need to get you out of here. When the others realize you are here, they are going to rip you out of her and confine you, and then we have a problem."

"Demons." Castiel suggested.

Anna looked at her, confused. 

"You and Raphael took Claire from demons. I'm sure they want to get her back. We give them a tip, and you "lose" me to them. I will smite them and be free."

"Risky." Anna pondered, "But it could work."

She smiled then. "I'll watch your back, just like old times."

* * *

Dean was visibly getting anxious the longer they didn't hear a word from Cas. And the weirdest thing was that, from all that were around, Jimmy knew pregnant women the best, and knew how to handle her the most. Dean could only suspect it was also thanks to the memories Jimmy must have about her from the time he shared his body with Cas. It was weird and confusing to have him around, but Dean never confused him with Cas. She just knew he wasn't Cas. The way he moved and spoke was so blatantly not Cas that there was no room for confusion. Also, she never felt this weird bond that she had to Cas in his presence.

"I'm sure it won't be long anymore." Dean stated to the breakfast table at large. "I feel it. Kinda."

"Let's just hope Cas is back in time." Bobby muttered.

Jimmy looked at Dean curiously. 

"Claire came two days after Amelia said that." he said. "You have any special plans? I don't guess you are going to take her to the next hospital."

"Nope." Dean said.

"Gabriel said he's going to take care of it." Sam explained. 

"I really hope he knows some sort of reliable supernatural maid, I don't want him poking his head there." Dean grumbled. The thought of birth made her nervous as hell, but she wouldn't admit it, and she was going to endure it like the manly man she was.

Sam fidgeted, trying to shove that particular image out of his mind. What he really didn't need to see was his boyfriend's head between his female brother's thighs. 

"Thanks, Dean, where's the brain bleach?"

"You bleached your brain one time to often already; no wonder you're such a sissy."

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

"Where is he, anyways?" Bobby asked, interrupting the brotherly bitching fest. 

"No idea." Sam answered. "He pops in at night from time to time, but he says he's got some business to take care off. Probably looking for Cas. He'll be here when we need him, though."

"I'm still not sure if I want to trust the trickster with this." Dean murmured defensively.

"Dean, if anyone's got any idea how to handle this, it's Gabriel, and you know it." Sam argued.

"Okay, okay." Dean cut him off. "I know. Doesn't mean I gotta like it."

Dean's hands travelled down to her belly again, slinging them around it in a protective gesture and stroking it. It was an unconscious gesture she was doing a lot lately. 

"Ouch!" Dean suddenly exclaimed. Sam and Bobby looked up confused, but Jimmy chuckled lightly. 

"Claire kicked a lot." Jimmy said, grinning. "It drove Amelia crazy."

His eyes softened and he stared into the air, a bit of melancholy seeping into his features. He sighed deeply, but continued to eat his breakfast as if nothing was wrong.

"Man, you know how great these pancakes are?" he pondered then, sounding much too chipper. "Though I really want to eat a burger, as long as I can."

Sam and Dean traded a grin over the table, both remembering the encounter with Famine. A phone chimed then, and Bobby got up to get it.

* * *

Getting demons on their trail was easy. Getting the right demons on their trail was hard, however. They needed to be strong enough so that it didn't look like a fluke, but Anna also didn't want Crowley on their trail. The new king of hell was trouble, to say at least.

It went down much easier than expected. The demons stormed in, fought a little with the angels before the smug leader of the gang painted a banishing sigil and banished all the angels out. What the demons didn't expect was that they were banishing Castiel in Claire's body also, and both were gone. 

Anna went back to Raphael with a hanging head, and explained that the demons had found them. Raphael was not amused, to say the least.

* * *

Castiel appeared in a seat at the kitchen table with a flutter of wings. She was seated between Jimmy and Dean and looked for all the world like she had been sitting there the whole time. 

"Cas!" Dean exclaimed immediately. She reached out and collided with Jimmy, who had just shouted out "Claire!" happily, and flailed out to hug the girl. 

"I'm Castiel." The girl announced, while the two next to her looked at each other awkwardly over her head and pulled back. 

"Okay, Castiel." Jimmy said and sighed heavily, looking disappointed. "You can take me back."

"No way!" Dean suddenly exclaimed. Everyone stared at her, confused, even Castiel. 

"Cas, you gotta give the guy a chance to hug his daughter properly before you hijack him again!"

Jimmy smiled at her, full, open and honest. "Thanks"

"It's not that easy." the girl between the two spoke up. "I am able to retreat to Claire's unconsciousness, but I'm not currently able to leave her body."

"What?" Dean and Jimmy exclaimed at exactly the same moment. They both wore similar expressions of bewilderment and confusion as they stared down at Castiel.

"This body is binding my grace to it. I cannot leave it. We need to find a way to break the spell."

Cas looked up at Dean as she continued speaking. "And I will not leave this body until after the child is born. They need Claire as a vessel for their plans. As long as I am occupying her, they can't use her. It's the safest way for all involved." 

"Okay..." Dean said weakly, trying to wrap her head around the whole situation. And here she thought having Jimmy in this house was weird.

* * *

 

The rest of the day was spent with more research. Jimmy eyed the angel wearing his daughter's body curiously, as she sat on the floor of Bobby's study, open books all around her. It was odd to look at the body of the little girl and not see her. Castiel had such a unique way of moving the human body that it gave him away anywhere. Being Castiel's long time vessel, he also had a connection that felt oddly like an open phone line. It was like looking at Claire's face like a display, and seeing the name "Castiel" written all over it. He just knew somewhere deep down that this was Cas.

Sam was sitting next to her in Bobby's comfy reading chair, also wrapped in books. Dean was lounging on the couch again, and it seemed to Jimmy as if everyone respected the spot on the right side of the couch as her spot. Dean had troubles balancing Sam's laptop in front of her belly as she searched the net for any signs of Amelia, but she managed it. Jimmy was grateful that they kept looking for her. As happy as he was that his daughter was safe, he was still worried about his wife. 

Castiel's head suddenly turned to him and the blue angelic eyes bore into his. Castiel stood up gracefully, passed him on the way out and gestured silently for him to follow. Jimmy nodded, curiously following the angel in his girl's body. Cas stopped when they left the house and turned to face Jimmy, solemn blue eyes again searching his.

"Jimmy." the angel said, sounding so much different than Claire. She had this aura of age and knowledge, so vastly different from his girl. She tilted her head, frowning sadly at him. 

"I know I don't deserve your forgiveness for the danger I brought upon your family once again." she said. Jimmy just stood there, not really knowing what to say. Of course, he knew Castiel was the reason his family had broken apart, and part of him still blamed the angel for it. But he also knew Cas would have never voluntarily placed them in danger. He trusted Cas. Normal people couldn't even begin to understand how deep the trust of a vessel must go to host an angel. Amelia could never truly understand it, since she was not one, but the very fact that Cas was currently in Claire showed his trust was not misplaced, as not only he, but also his daughter, chose to trust Castiel. He was almost part of their family.

Jimmy started to wave around with his hands, searching for words, but still unable to say something. What should he say? That Cas brought all this upon them when he first asked Jimmy to host him? It wasn't like he regretted the decision. Yes, he mourned his old life, but he knew the world he knew would have ended without Castiel. What else followed wasn't really in Cas' control. His feelings about the whole matter were torn - but that didn't hinder him from completely trusting Castiel.

Cas took a step closer and grabbed his flailing hands to calm him. Jimmy knew Castiel sensed his feelings. 

"I can only give you the chance to see your daughter once again." she said, still looking apologetic. Then, suddenly, the expression changed and the huge blue eyes stared up at him with surprise.

"Dad?" Claire asked in wonder.

"Claire!" Jimmy exclaimed and immediately slung his arms around his daughter to hug her tight. His eyes filled with tears of happiness. He had never thought he would have the chance to see his daughter once again. Claire clung to him tightly, not letting go. 

"Claire..." he said after a while, stroking over her long blond hair. "I'm so sorry for leaving you and Mom."

"It's okay, Dad." Claire said, sounding much more grown up than he remembered her. They parted only long enough to sit down on the porch, close to each other.

"I know why you had to go." Claire said, smiling encouragingly. "It was important. Mom and I were okay. And the hunters checked up on us from time to time."

Jimmy nodded and looked his girl up and down. She grew up so much in all the time he missed. It wasn't only her body, it was obvious in the way she carried herself and spoke. As her father, he could tell from only this short exchange. And of course Claire understood. Cas was in her, after all.

"He feels huge, doesn't he?" Jimmy recalled, smiling lightly. He remembered it all too well. Although he had felt like he was strapped to a comet, he didn't feel tiny and squashed under Castiel's weight. Cas had always tried to make him feel comfortable, rest his consciousness safely somewhere deep within.

"Yeah." Claire replied, nodding. "Mom never really understood. I tried to explain her. She never said it, but I think Mom was mad at Cas for taking you, and then taking me."

"I know." Jimmy said sadly. He was just glad his daughter understood.

"Where did Cas go?" Jimmy asked, worried.

"He's still in there somewhere." Claire murmured. "Just sat back or something."

Jimmy nodded. Claire suddenly grinned. 

"He just thanked me that I defended him in front of Mom."

Jimmy smiled. That sounded like Cas, always in awe about the depth of human devotion.

"Is he happy?" Jimmy suddenly asked, concerned about his angel. And yes, he did kinda think of Cas as his angel, although on a whole different level than Dean did. It was impossible not to get attached to him after sharing so much time in the same body. He almost felt empty and lonely, now that he was riding alone.

"Yeah." Claire answered, her gaze becoming unfocused with wonder. "Really. He loves Dean so much. I can't even..."

She hesitated.

"You will find someone like Dean for yourself." Jimmy replied, smiling. His daughter was still so young, of course the intensity of the angel's feelings were overwhelming for her. But Jimmy knew it was just love.

Claire smiled. "Cas just said the same thing." 

Jimmy chuckled. "Does he talk to you often?" he asked curiously. Cas had never talked much with him in words when he was his vessel. But that was a long time ago, and Cas had changed a lot since then.

Claire blushed a little. "I... didn't want to pray to God anymore after he took me the first time."

Jimmy nodded sagely. He knew the feeling.

"So I started to pray to him. Sometimes he answered. But not often."

Jimmy's eyed his daughter in surprise. "I didn't know that."

Claire shrugged. "Mom didn't like it. But I just couldn't shake off everything just like that, you know?"

Jimmy nodded, understanding. Of course Cas has had a huge impact on his daughter. It had to change her view of the world. They sat for a moment in silence, and Claire leaned contently against her dad and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Cas is nudging." she said after a while, looking up at him sadly.

"He still needs to do that research, right?" Jimmy asked.

Claire nodded. "I missed you, dad." she said.

"I missed you too, sweetheart." Jimmy replied and pressed a kiss on her head. "But take your time before you come up to visit me, okay?"

"Okay." Claire said and smiled up weakly. They didn't say goodbye. When you had an angel woven into your life, you never knew what could happen. Besides, they were both sure they would see each other again, hopefully after a very long time, up in heaven. They hugged one last time before Claire moved off from him a little and stared at nothing for a moment. Then her posture changed visibly and the blue eyes looking up to him belonged to the angel once more, Claire sleeping deeply somewhere within her.

"Thank you, Cas." Jimmy said honestly. Cas smiled, tilting her head a little. Of course Cas could feel his gratefulness. There wasn't really need to voice his thoughts, but Jimmy was still just human.

"I will watch over Claire." Castiel declared. "I will fight against any harm to fall upon her."

"I know." Jimmy replied. Castiel held his gaze for another moment, but then went into the house, not feeling the need for any more words. 

Castiel settled down on the floor again, picking up the same dusty tome she had studied earlier. Sam looked up briefly, a curious frown in place, but didn't ask. Jimmy sat down next to Dean. Dean was still researching on the laptop and didn't even bother to acknowledge him. Jimmy was okay with her, really, but it was odd to look at her, knowing that she was fucking his body. That she was usually a man fucking his body. Knowing that the baby in her belly was made with his body. It was also hard to understand how a powerful being like an angel could fall for a guy like Dean. He wouldn't believe it if he hadn't witnessed it. But his part in all of this was over. He had been confused and irritated when Castiel left him the first time, but he understood so much more since then.

He concentrated on watching Castiel again. It was better for his own sanity. He glanced at the book and didn't even recognize the letters in it. He had picked up a few things while being Castiel's vessel, but not enough to help. It was making him uneasy not to be able to do anything. His thoughts circled about Cas and his daughter, and he wondered what her future life would be like. If she would ever be able to live a normal life, knowing all things she knew. Where she would stay if they didn't find Amelia. But knowing that Cas would look out for her calmed him a bit. 

At one point, Dean laid the computer to the side and grabbed a book. It was a pregnancy companion, Jimmy noted, and couldn't help a small smile. It was getting late, and eventually Jimmy dozed off. But he wasn't the only one who missed the cue to go to bed.

Castiel stood up after a while and went over to Dean, laying her small hand on Dean's shoulder.

"Dean? Dean!" she asked, shaking Dean a little bit to wake her up.

Dean blinked lazily as she fought her way into consciousness. Blue eyes were staring right at her, only inches away from her face, but it weren't the eyes Dean was used to. It took her a moment to remember that this was Castiel. 

"You should go and sleep upstairs." Castiel suggested warmly. One of her hands was travelling down onto Dean's potbelly and caressing it.

"Yeah, okay." Dean answered and yawned widely. 

"Good night, Dean." Castiel said and leaned forward to press a sweet little kiss to Dean's mouth. Dean suddenly was wide awake and went completely stiff.

"Cas, you can't do that!" she exclaimed, but managed to keep her voice down enough not to wake Jimmy. Cas only tilted her head curiously.

"You're in the body of a friggin' 15-year old! I can't screw with you, that's sick!"

Cas stared at her with the hugest, saddest puppy dog eyes. "You don't like me like this?" she asked, voice weak and breaking from hurt.

"I didn't think you'd only love me for Jimmy's body."

It sounded so wrong to Dean. So completely and utterly wrong. It was more like she loved Cas despite his body... Yeah, she gotten used to the whole with-a-man thing by now, and she learned to appreciate it. Jimmy was damn hot if she was honest. But she had never, ever even considered another man before Cas.

"No, it's not that." Dean hurried to explain, but stopped as she became aware that Sam, Bobby and Jimmy were still in the same room, even if they all were snoring by now. When she continued it was only a whisper.

"I love you, Cas. Still do." She leaned forward and rested her head against Cas'. "I don't care what you look like. But Claire is still a child. You can't do anything like that with her body."

"I didn't want to." Castiel said, her voice calm and reassured. Dean pulled back to look at her, and Cas' eyes were soft and happy as she looked back at Dean. Cas crouched down then and rested her head against Dean's belly, stroking the sides of it lovingly with her hands.

"She's so strong already." Cas murmured quietly.

"I know." Dean answered and smiled as she looked down at Cas. Fuck, this was so weird. She knew that the girl in front of her was Cas, and she still loved her with all her being. But right now, thinking of the small girl as her lover, boyfriend, whatever Cas was, felt so completely and utterly wrong. 

"Good night, Cas" she said, despite knowing Cas wouldn't sleep, and placed a kiss on Cas' forehead before pulling up and heading for the softness of her bed.

* * *

Dean was not alone when she woke up next morning. The light weight of another body rested against her, arms slung around her and limbs entangled. When Dean opened her eyes, a blond head greeted her, resting on her shoulder. Again, Dean needed a moment to remember this was Cas.

"Cas?"

The blond head moved and blue eyes smiled up at her.

"Good morning, Dean." 

Dean gulped, readying herself for what she had to ask next.

"Cas, you remember what we talked about last night? And... personal space?"

Cas held her gaze steadily. "It is not objectionable for a fifteen-year-old to cuddle."

"Uhm, yeah." Dean said slowly. Cuddle. She would have never, ever called it that. But it was nice. Not in a romantic, sexy way, just... nice. Like it was nice for six year old sick Sam to cuddle up to his older brother.

"Cas, we don't cuddle."

"We don't?" Cas asked, and the adorable head-tilt looked even more adorable in her current vessel.

"No, we're just...holding, I guess."

"I see." Cas answered, and the way the corners of her lips tugged up as she continued speaking almost looked smug. 

"Sam insisted this action is called cuddling. He also said I shouldn't believe you if you tried to call it something else."

"Sam's a bitch." Dean murmured. Yeah, the smile on Cas really did look smug.

So, okay, she was cuddling with Cas. Didn't change anything that Cas now chose to call it that. It wasn't a big deal anymore. A few months ago, it might have been, but not anymore. 

Cas lowered her head down to rest on Dean's shoulder again, and Dean draped an arm around her. 

"You need to get big again, Cas." Dean murmured.


	5. Chapter 5

Dean woke up in the middle of the night form pain, as vicious spasms rocked her body. She groaned out in pain, clinging onto the mattress, searching for something to hold onto as the spasms rocked through her body time and time again. 

"Cas!" she cried out, tears of pain welling up behind her eyes. Another spasm rocked her body, and it was too intense, too painful to think about what was happening with her. 

A little hand was there, holding her hand, while another little hand carefully wiped a strand of hair out of her face.

"Dean." Cas said, compassion and worry clear in the high voice, but it still sounded, undoubtedly, like Cas.

A pained whimper escaped Dean, and she couldn't understand why Cas didn't do something. "Cas!" she rasped out again, holding tightly onto the smaller hand, hard enough to break it if it wasn't an angel's hand. She couldn't force out more. 

The initial wave of pain ebbed out then, leaving Dean panting for air. Cas was softly caressing her face, trying to soothe. She had probably done it the whole time, but Dean hadn't noticed it, too wrapped up in her pain.

"What the hell just happened?" Dean gasped, still trying to fill her lungs with as much air as possible while her brain was short-circuited.

"Dean, I believe your water broke." Cas replied calmly, still caressing her soothingly.

"Shit." Dean pressed out. Now, after the initial shock, she could feel it. She was drenched between her legs, the sheets beneath her too, and it had probably soaked into the mattress. 

"Shit."

Panic welled up in her, closing her throat. As much as she wanted to have a baby, as much as she loved Cas, this was the moment she had been afraid off all the time. She had made a good show of being nonchalant about the business, shrugging it off and ignoring it the whole time, but now it all was coming down to her.

She clung onto Cas, trying not to freak out completely, as she felt a weird pull in her body, followed by another intense spasm.

The door was shoved open then, revealing a freaked and concerned Sam.

"Dean?" he asked, the sight before him confirming his suspicion. Dean's cries of pain had been loud enough to be heard anywhere in the house, and by the sound of it, Dean probably didn't even know that, too wrapped up in her pain.

Not a second later, Gabriel's small form pushed Sam aside and strolled right in front of Dean. The expression on his face could be placed somewhere between concentration and bemusement, but with Gabe, it was always hard to tell.

"Now, let's get this show on the road!" he announced cheerfully, rolling up his sleeves and stepping up to the bed.

"We need to get Dean more on the edge of the bed, I need better access." he announced, sounding all business, as if he did this every other day.

Dean stared back at him, her face torn between disbelief, disgust, and pain.

"Who else do you want to take care of your little problem?" Gabe asked, still smirking. "You wanna let Sammy do it and burn his eyes out?"

Gabriel gestured in the general direction of Dean as he said it, and when Dean looked down now, she could see faint light shining out between her legs.

"I'm... uhm... just gonna wait outside" Sam announced then and stumbled out. Fast.

Dean glared another time at Gabriel, her look telling him you better not fuck this up. Another wave of pain rocked trough her body, and she felt the pressing inside her more urgently.

When the pain ebbed again, she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, and it sounded too much like a sob in her ears. She pressed her head into Cas' neck then, just seeking a moment of calm, breathing the security she felt radiating from him. He smelled different, but there was this small hint of ozone, a smell no human would produce, and it was so ultimately Cas.

"Dean." Gabriel prompted, and she saw that the small man had crawled onto the mattress, kneeling in front of her and tapping at her knees.

"You'll need to spread those a little for me."

And Gabriel was the only one who was able to make it sound dirty in this situation. By the way the mischievous smile played on his lips, it was painfully obvious it was intentional, only to get on Dean's nerves.

"Fuck you!" Dean barked, and it surprised her herself that she had the energy for it. 

But she opened her legs anyway, hesitantly, because she knew Gabe was right.

"Dean, stop fighting against it." Cas said, and until Cas said it, Dean didn't even realize she was clamping together, trying to make it stop. Cas pulled Dean up against her, resting Dean's body against hers, slinging her arms around Dean and Dean held onto her arms desperately. Claire wasn't actually that small. She was tall enough that Dean could lie comfortably between her legs and rest against her, and with the angelic strength flowing through her veins, holding Dean and supporting her was easy. The slender arms might look like Claire's, but right now they were Cas, and Dean knew it. She didn't see Claire when she looked up to search comfort in her blue eyes, she saw Cas.

Suddenly, there was frantic knocking at the door. "Gabe, Cas, it's burning!"

It was Sam's voice, but Dean was currently to wrapped up in herself to get what Sam was saying. Gabe looked away, his eyes narrowing in concentration.

"Shit. I can't will it down."

"What do you mean?" Sam sounded desperate from the other side of the door.

"It's holy fire." Gabe answered, and his voice had never sounded so stern.

"They probably waited for this to attack. You and Bobby get out of here, fast!" Gabriel ordered. "Pray for Balthy, but only when you're outside the house or he'll be trapped too!"

"What about Dean and the baby? And you guys?" Sam called, and the worry in his voice was loud. Right at that moment, another spasm rocked trough Dean, and she cried out in pain.

Gabe looked down at Dean. "The show must go on. Now get out of here, Sammy!"

There was another comment from Sam, but Dean was too worked up to understand it. It was something like take care, or good luck, or something along those lines. Sam and Bobby were probably worried out of their brains.

"Okay Dean, we don't have time for you to freak out over all this, now start pushing!" 

Gabriel's voice was stern and calm, but there was a hint of weariness in it. The fact that Gabriel was stern about this was enough to convince Dean's clouded brain that shit was really hitting the fan. 

"You can do this, Dean." Cas voice was calm in her ear, centering her. A kiss was pressed on her cheek softly, and Cas rubbed soothing circles on her arms.

Dean had no idea what to do, but her girly body must have instincts of his own. As soon as Dean wanted to do this, some muscles sprang into action that she didn't even know she had and she started pushing.

"Great!" Gabe called, ushering her on. "I can see it coming! Come on Dean-o, push!"

Dean pushed on, concentrating, trying to ignore the huge pain she had to endure, but it wasn't long until she had to relax again, the strain becoming too much for her to bear.

"Breathe, Dean." Cas said, and it was so good to hear her voice, to know that she was with her, even if she sounded so different. 

"Come on, the head is almost out! Just a little bit and I can get her!" Gabe exclaimed.

Dean panted for air, desperately trying to calm the fuck down, trying to breathe deeply, and she might have broken Claire's arms from the way she clung onto them if it wasn't for the angel in her. She heard fire crackling somewhere nearby, but she was too wrapped up in her own world to freak out about it. It couldn't be seen in the room, but she could smell it, and with each breath she took she could feel there was less and less oxygen in the air.

But her hunter instincts never failed Dean, and her brain clicked into an odd state of mind where suddenly having this baby was a task, like ganking a monster. Something she had to get over with now, fast, and get the fuck out of here. She pushed hard, and she could feel a large part come out of her.

"Great!" Gabe exclaimed, and suddenly a force from outside was dragging on the huge thing within her, and she felt her baby slipping out.

"Interesting." Gabe mused, examining the baby for a moment. All Dean could see was a white glow in his arms, and then a cry sounded. 

It wasn't a usual baby's first cry. It was something else. Something that sounded remotely like a baby, but layers and layers of voices cried along, so utterly loud and intense that Cas had to cover Dean's ears. It reminded Dean of the first time she had heard Cas, way back in that truck stop, when she discovered the first signs of angelic activity without having a clue of what she was witnessing.

But Dean felt that it wasn't over, and pushed one last time, getting rid of the afterbirth. She had known it had to come too, but it was another thing entirely to feel it.

"Give me my baby!" Dean demanded loudly, a desperate command. Gabe touched the bundle of light in his arms with two fingers, but Dean couldn't see anything changing.

Gabriel moved towards Dean much to slowly for Dean's taste, but she realized Gabe was watching if the baby's grace would harm Dean. 

But Dean didn't even blink as the baby was given into her arms. She could see more than light now. In her arms rested a small, healthy baby, covered in a white blanket, a few strands of dark hair on the head, and the crumpled little face pressed into Dean's breast immediately, recognizing the beat of her heart. 

And there were wings. Honest to god, fluffy white wings. Corporeal wings. 

"Cas... she..." Dean murmured, her voice breaking as she trailed one finger carefully over the fluffy white wings. The tears finally spilled out over her cheeks, and she couldn't help herself, she was so utterly, blissfully happy.

Cas' arms squeezed hers, but then he touched two fingers to her head and she felt clean and dressed.

And then she was hauled out of the bed and in Cas' arms, while she still held onto the baby. 

And then she was grasping her surroundings again. Gabe shoved open the door of the room, and flames licked against him instantly. If the situation had not been so desperate, the way Gabe shrieked and jumped back would have been comical. Gabe extended one arm to the side, and the outer wall of the room was pushed away forcefully, breaking and crumbling down, giving away to the night sky. A faint golden glow could be seen on the far reaches of the horizon, a sign that the sun would be dawning soon, but no one stopped to care about this now. 

Dean clung onto the baby, wrapping her arms around it protectively as Cas stepped with her in her arms to the edge of the room. Down in the junkyard, they could see Sam, Bobby and Jimmy hovering behind the junk cars, trying to hide, while the yard was full of angels battling against each other. Dean only recognized two familiar heads, one red and one blond, standing back to back near the humans' hiding place as they both fought off some of their brethren. 

But the attackers where too many, Dean saw instantly. One of the angels, a tall, black woman wearing a crude smile, didn't even fight, just watched everything from the back.

But Cas and Gabe had to get out of the burning house. The attackers could get to them any time, willing the fire down from outside was easy. Dean knew that much. 

The falling wall made a break in the flames, effectively draining them out beneath the new layer of burned wood on Bobby's porch. Cas and Gabriel hurried out. Cas ran to the others that were hiding, knowing their position was obvious anyway, and laid Dean down in the sand. Sam shielded his eyes with the back of his hand at first as he saw the bundle of light in Dean's arms approaching, but curiously spread the fingers and concluded that the light slipping through them didn't harm him. He dropped his hand then, staring right at the baby.

Dean glanced up at the angels. Cas, Balthazar and Anna built a wall before them, fiercely fighting off the angles that were now pressing hard against their position. Dean couldn't see Cas' face, but every muscle in Claire's body was tense, the way she moved and fought against the angels fierce and angry. Other angels that Dean didn't know were holding the other flank between the junk cars and the burning house. They were two women angels and two men. One of the women had soft, brown curls, and her vessel was older than most. She didn't seem to belong into a fight like this at all. Curiously though, the attackers on their side seemed to hesitate as they looked at the curly haired angel. Some even backed down completely. Gabriel was nowhere to be seen, but Dean didn't doubt he made himself useful in some way. It just wasn't Gabriel's way to draw out the blade and fight openly.

"Dean, it glows." Sam muttered, inching closer to get a better look. It didn't take long before Sam, Bobby and Jimmy were around her in a protective circle, although they knew damn well that they could do absolutely nothing against angels. A banning sigil was out of question, as nobody knew what it might do to the baby.

"Yeah." Dean breathed, and despite the fucking desperation of her situation, she couldn't help but feel happy as she glanced down at her little angel. She was still riding on the waves of I-just-had-a-baby-hormones, not really able to grasp the situation. She moved the blanket back a little to show Sam the white, downy feathers. 

Sam gaped. He was looking like a fish, his mouth opening and closing without a sound coming out of it. Bobby and Jimmy got curious now, and leaned over to get a look.

Bobby frowned when he saw the feathers, but didn't say anything. It wasn't the time now to ruin Dean's happy mom moment and discuss what a hell of a problem that would be. Even if there were sounds of battle nearby, blood splattering across everywhere, Dean was having a moment. This was the Winchester's life. Nothing could ever be just happy and dopey.

They suddenly heard a strangled cry and all the humans looked up. The black woman angel was standing right in front of Cas, calmly closing her extended hand to a fist. Cas crumpled down at her feet, screaming in agony. Balthazar and Anna couldn't help, still trying to fight off other angels that pressed against them.

Dean couldn't even cry, or shout, or anything. Tears welled up behind her eyes as she just stared at Cas in shock, a silent no on her lips, desperate to do anything. Besides her, Jimmy screamed out "NO!", his eyes as wide and desperate as Dean's, shocked by the amount of blood and gashes that covered his girl's body. Cas curled in on herself in front of Raphael while the archangel just stared down at her with an expression that could only be described as evil grin. Cas tried hard not to cry and sob uncontrolled, but the pain wracking his body was just too much as everything tore on his grace.

Suddenly, the body fell down, lifeless, and Raphael made a little swiping motion with her hand. Claire's body gently flew to Jimmy, coming to lay right next to Dean.

"I'm not cruel." she said, her eyes fixed on Jimmy. "But I need her."

Suddenly, Jimmy stood up and fixed Raphael with an intense stare, full of wrath.

"You are not going to destroy either family." he announced, and the voice was deep, determined and just this kind of bad ass. Cas.

"Castiel." Raphael sighed. "Do I have to do that again?"

Castiel's only answer was the angel blade that was willed into existence, and not a second later he leaped onto Raphael in fierce angelic wrath, despite knowing he stood no chance against the much more powerful archangel. But that didn't matter to him. He was in full-on angelic battle mode.

Something poked Dean in his ribs. She looked down to see Claire winking at him.

"Claire's safe." she announced. "You gonna sit there all the time, or do something useful?"

"Gabe?" Dean asked desperately. "Why don't you do something? Help Cas!"

"I can't kill my brothers." Gabe answered, and right then, his eyes looked so pained and earnest, like Dean had never seen them before. Dean took a look around the battlefield and noticed that not every angel around was dead. Not all had shadow wings splayed out beside them. Somehow, Gabe had managed to take out the most, without actually killing them.

"I can't go up against Raphie." Gabe admitted quietly, and Dean understood that it wasn't because Gabe didn't want to help, but he just couldn't. For all what mattered in this big, dysfunctional family, Raphael was still his fucking older brother. Raphael would try to kill him, while Gabriel still, after all these years of isolation, wasn't ready to let go. He left his family because he loved them too much, because he couldn't watch them fighting.

"What would you have me do?" Dean asked, and she was already handing her little angel over to Sam. Sam looked at her incredulously, huge puppy eyes, pleading at her hot to do that.

"Call Mike." Gabe said. And it was so simple. Why the hell hadn't Dean thought of that before? She was still a fucking Archangel's vessel!

"You sure he's on our side?" Dean still asked, needing to be absolutely sure.

"Haven't been so sure about something my entire life." Gabe answered solemnly.

Dean glanced at Cas. Cas was in trouble, inching away from Raphael on the ground, pressing a hand to the newest wound, but rolled over and leaped against the higher angel in another desperate attack. Jimmy's body was covered in blood and stains, but the worst thing was Cas' grace seeping out from multiple wounds. But Cas didn't seem to care, his jaw set angrily and his eyes wrathful. Dean's heart clenched in pain and fear at the sight. She couldn't lose Cas. She wasn't able to handle it.

They had already spent too many fucking seconds with talking and making sure.

"Michael, take me. Now!" Dean exclaimed, looking up in the sky, words sure and strong. Only a moment later, Sam and Bobby threw their arms up, protecting their eyes as a warm glow started to seep into Dean.

It was a peculiar feeling. Michael's presence was warm, soothing, but also completely stern and fierce. Dean could feel in every fiber of her body that this was a warrior and leader, someone with great responsibility and wisdom. In some weird way, it reminded her of Cas, but this was most obviously not Cas. She couldn't make out more than a general feel of Michael as she slowly slipped into unconsciousness, but she knew him. It was not something she could explain.

Sam cradled the baby, protecting it carefully, despite his attempts to shield his eyes. When the light ebbed out and he looked up at Dean's standing body, it was obvious that this was not Dean. The way she moved, the way she held her head, the expression on her face gave it away instantly.

"Raphael." the figure spoke, and suddenly, everything died down around them. No more fighting. No more slicing. Not a single angel dared to move once the word passed Michael's lips. Michael was a sight to behold. Only a glance from him, and the other angels crouched down. There was an aura to him that spoke clearly of superiority. His presence demanded respect.

"This is not God's will." 

Sam suddenly doubted that Michael had chosen free will, as Gabriel and Castiel claimed after the apocalypse. But there was something so utterly superior and sure in Michael's voice that it left Sam wondering if this could not really be God's will. Suddenly, Gabriel's quote about super-secret archangel business crawled its way into Sam's brain, and Sam understood even less. Was this really fate? Did Michael and Gabriel know all the way that it would come to this?

Michael took a step in Raphael's direction, slow and deliberate. Raphael's angels backed off, some already taking flight. Cas was sprawled on the ground before Raphael, slowly raising himself up, fighting against the pain from his countless injuries.

Raphael just stood there as Michael took another step toward her. 

The two archangels glared into each other's eyes for a whole, nerve wrecking minute. 

"Don't you understand, Raphael?" Michael finally asked solemnly, "This is our fate."

Raphael slowly shook her head. "You are misled, Michael. Our Father would never want something like this for us."

Her voice was a barely audible hiss as she continued speaking.

"Our Father is dead, brother. This is not his doing."

"It is." Michael insisted. "And if you choose to fight against it, Raphael, I will not hesitate to fight against you."

Raphael glared back at Michael, not speaking another word. Michael took another step in Raphael's direction, and finally Raphael backed down, shooting a last deadly glare at the Winchesters, and took flight, the rest of her angels following behind.

Sam felt the air beside him shift, and as he looked at Gabriel, the small form of Claire morphed into the not much bigger form that was Gabriel's usual body. Claire herself appeared between the cars. She looked frightened as she went over to the group, her dress torn and bloody, but her injuries seemed to be healed.

Michael, in the meantime, kneeled down beside his brother and touched Castiel's forehead with two fingers. Instantly, the wounds healed and the grace stopped seeping out of Cas. The two angels exchanged some words in nochian. Sam didn't need to understand the first words. Castiel's utterly grateful expression told him everything. But when the two angels kept talking and Cas' gaze turned from surprised to downright incredulous, Sam was staring to get curious.

The junkyard was peacefully silent. Not the kind of stunned silence that appeared with Michael's first word, but the peaceful hush after a battle won and everyone still too much in shock or awe to speak. The tiny baby in Sam's arms fidgeted and started mewling, like she understood that something had changed. Anna and the curly haired angel crouched down near Sam to take a look at the baby. While Anna's face was awed, the brown haired angel smiled at it with compassion that seemed much more mature, like a grandmother watching the first steps of youth. It reminded Sam a bit of Ellen. The middle-aged, more rounded vessel even supported everything about the angel that screamed mother. She made an impression on Sam, even more than most angels did, and did so without saying a word. Balthazar strolled up to stand a bit behind the other two angels, looking curiously at the baby before taking flight.

Castiel finally came back and sat down next to Sam, reaching for his baby. Sam passed it over instantly. The baby immediately snuggled into Cas, burrowing her face in him as if she was recognizing him. Cas looked down thoughtfully at the baby. He seemed to be off kilter. 

"Hey, Cas, everything alright?" Sam asked concerned.

Cas nodded briefly, not taking his eyes off the baby. He had this aura of angelic detachment that made it obvious he wouldn't share what the talk with Michael was about. At least, not with Sam. But as he looked down at his baby, the frown faded completely and he smiled in wonder and awe. It was the first time he had the chance to really look down at his baby and marvel at it like a dad should. Sam had spent more time with the baby than Cas had.

The curly haired angel's eyes wrinkled up even fonder.

"I always knew fate had something different in store for you, Castiel." she mused with a knowing smile. Cas eyes peeked up at her briefly.

"Thank you, Muriel." he said, referring to the battle. Muriel sighed and looked around, frowning sadly at the bodies. Michael still stood a bit ahead in Dean's body, back turned to the group, seemingly deep in thought. Gabriel stood up now and strolled to his oldest brother, patting his shoulder. The two archangels exchanged a meaningful glance, and Sam wondered again what in the world of doom all the angels were up to now. There was something in Michael's gaze that Sam couldn't place, but Gabe obviously could, as he first broke into a wide grin, then clapped his shoulder again and laughed lightly.

When Sam looked back at Muriel, she had sat down and her head was hanging. The brown locks covered almost all of her face, but Sam suddenly noticed that there were tears streaming down her face. She was crying, unashamed, but without a sound. She angled her face to the sky now, looking into the pink colored clouds with bloodshot eyes and the most open expression of grief and despair that Sam had ever seen on an angel.

"Muriel..." Anna muttered and sat down next to her, slinging her arms around the other angel and hugging her tightly. The older angel turned toward her immediately, burrowing her head in Anna's neck as she continued to cry, her body shaking visibly but silently. Gabriel hunched down to next her, smiling at her weakly and rubbing circles on her back in a tender gesture that Sam had never ever seen Gabriel display to anyone before. Ever. Not even to him when he was hurt. When Muriel looked up at him, they shared another one of those long, angelic, knowing looks. There were no more tears coming, but she still looked shaken. Sam suddenly realized that as much as this had been a battle, it was also family reunion of some sort. All of the angels on their side had probably not spoken to one another for centuries, and now they had chosen to stand with each other to fight others from their big, dysfunctional family. Sam knew Anna and Castiel had been close. And by the way the other angels acted around Muriel, she was obviously someone very close too.

The baby started to weep now, quietly, but it was still enough to make Sam's ears burn. Castiel immediately cradled her closer, muttering soothing words in Enochian and patting her lovingly.

Gabriel laughed. "I guess Gabriella needs her mom. Sorry Mike!"

Michael nodded. He made a swiping gesture and the dead and unconscious angels disappeared. Then all humans had to close their eyes again as pure light seeped out of Dean. Dean slumped a little, looking around hastily to regain orientation, but when the weeping of her child registered she was immediately next to Cas and reaching for her baby. Dean didn't seem bothered at all by the weeping, but Sam couldn't tell if she was ignoring it, mother instincts taking over, or if she was immune.

Dean began rocking it gently and murmured sweet little nothings into the baby's ears, but it did nothing to soothe the weeping. She stared down at the baby then, contemplating the situation.

"Feed her already!" Bobby exclaimed, exasperated, trying to shield his ears.

Dean looked up at Bobby, down at the child again and then to the burned down house. All the baby food burned down with the house, Sam realized. There was only one way Dean could feed her. And Dean, the manly man she was, had a problem with that. Sam grinned.

"Who are you grinning at?" Dean exclaimed, agitated. She looked down at her baby again. 

"My ears are still hurting." Bobby griped then. Bobby had one of his typical exasperated how the hell can those boys even survive? expressions. Sam had to smile despite the hurt in her ears. The two woman angels decided that moment to fly off and did it without a word of warning, but both of them glanced fondly at Dean and her baby for a last time.

Dean finally tucked her shirt up and exposed a boob. Sam looked away awkwardly. Dean hissed as the baby's mouth found her nipple and started sucking forcefully. Sam immediately felt relief for his ears as the baby stopped crying.

"The books said it only hurts the first time." Cas supplied, very helpfully. 

Finally, the after-battle tension snapped off Sam and he had to laugh out loud at the ridiculous weirdness of the situation. Here they were, in the middle of a bloody battlefield, in front of their burnt-down house. Sam had just witnessed an angel honest-to-god breakdown and Dean was glaring at Cas because he mentioned the dreaded pregnancy companions while nursing her baby for the very first time. How could life ever be different for the Winchesters? Or, how else could the life of a new Winchester start if not in an awfully bloody battle? It was sad, downright depressing actually, but all Sam could do right now was laughing at the ridiculousness.

"Shut up, bitch!" Dean groused, but there was no heat in her voice. She was just too happy that everything was over and her baby was here. She looked down and smiled happily. 

"You should stop cussing in front of her!" Bobby scolded.

"She needs a name." Sam said then, more a question than a statement. Sam was pretty sure he already knew how the baby would be named. Dean was so predictable. This would be Mary something angelic Winchester.

Dean traded a long look with Cas.

"You remember what happened today, exactly three years ago?"

"Carthage." Cas nodded.

"I was thinking of Joanna." Dean continued, still looking at her angel for confirmation. Dean seemed to be a little unsure, possibly uncomfortable with admitting she had such a chick-flick reason to choose the name.

"Joanna." Cas slowly said, letting the name roll off his tongue. There was a moment of consideration before he said, "I expected you to name her after Mary."

"Yeah, would like to." Dean answered. "Joanna Mary would be awesome, but don't you have anything to suggest?"

Cas pondered. "Those are both beautiful and meaningful names. Both Joanna Harvelle and Mary Winchester were strong women with a pure soul. I like those names very much."

"You don't want anything angelic?" Dean probed.

Cas looked thoughtful, frowning as he considered. "I do not wish to name her after any of my brethren."

"What about Gabriella?"

Everyone ignored Gabriel's quip.

"Okay." Dean said smiling brightly. "Joanna Mary Winchester." she announced, smiling down fondly at her still drinking baby. The glow seemed to ebb off now, as the baby seemed to calm down in her mother's arms. The tiny hands grabbed at the skin of Dean's boob, but couldn't get a hold. Cas slung an arm around Dean, pulling her close and Dean leaned into him immediately. Dean turned her head to Cas and they shared a soft, loving kiss and didn't bother at all with the witnesses.

There was something hushed in the air. Nobody said a word, simply enjoying the silent moment of peace. They had done it. Joanna was safe. The sun was rising now, slipping everything into soft, warm light. But trained from a long life as hunters to march from one battle to the next, the moment didn't last long. Bobby and Sam stood up, checking everything around. The house had burned down completely, a huge pile of ash and coal replacing it. Bobby turned to Gabriel.

"Could you just mojo my house back already?"

"Sorry, no can do."

"What? You mean, the mighty trickster can't bring back my home?" he grumped.

Gabriel nodded at the coal remains of the house. "Holy fire. I can build you a new house next to it, but that would be kinda hard to explain, right?"

"Balls." Bobby cursed, his face falling.

Suddenly, a rolled carpet appeared in front of Bobby. Bobby stared at the roll as if it was going to attack him.

"What's that?" he grumped incredulously.

"Your carpet, genius!"

"You saved my fucking carpet, but not my house?" Bobby yelled at Gabriel.

"Keep it down, Bobby!" Dean scolded, rocking her baby gently.

"Yeah. No need to thank me, Bobby, I know you don't care about it, since Karen picked it." Gabe replied, shrugging nonchalantly.

Dean had to laugh. Bobby's expression was just too funny. "Does that mean we need to burn the carpet when Bobby dies?"


	6. Chapter 6

After regrouping, staring at the ruins of the house and yelling at Gabriel for not bringing the house back, Bobby called around. Thus, the group ended up standing in front of an abandoned house.

"Ain't exactly perfect," Sheriff Mills shrugged, "but all I can do. I won't notice that you're occupying it."

Bobby nodded. "Thanks, Jody, we appreciate it."

Sheriff Mills took another look at the old wooden structure before turning to Dean.

"I still think you should consider a motel until you find something. This is not a good place for a baby."

"We can't." Bobby answered, "This ain't exactly a normal baby."

"Bobby!" Dean exclaimed.

"Shut it, Dean. The sheriff's okay. We can trust her."

Dean's glace at Jody was suspicious, but Jody didn't seem to mind.

"Okay, boys and girls, settle in. See ya around." she announced, waved and went back to the car.

When they stepped into the house, everything was suddenly clean, furnished and cozy. Bobby shot an appreciative glance at Gabriel.

"Nice."

* * *

Settling into a house perfectly mojoed for their needs was pretty easy, but they couldn't stay there forever. They still needed to appear normal to the other inhabitants of the small town. Dean and Cas started to look for a place of their own while Bobby started to rebuilt his old house from scratch. The old hunter had bugged Dean and Cas about getting a place even before Gabriel mojoed Dean into a woman, and now seemed like the time to do it. Sam, forced from the prospect of not riding at Dean's side for longer, was also starting to look for a home base of his own. He would try to find a place near them, maybe as neighbor, but he didn't want to live in the same house. Dean eased in her mother role easily, and Sam couldn't say he was surprised. Dean was cut out to be a parent since she was four and looking after Sam the first time alone. Castiel was a bit baffled at the human aspects of the baby, even with help from the books, but he picked up quickly with the determination of an angel with a task. It was almost scary to see the serious expression on Cas face while he studied diapers, like he was threatening to smite them if they dared to scratch his baby the wrong way.

If the last months had shown Sam something, it was how close Dean and Cas had grown, and he wanted them to have a place of their own. Besides, he didn't need to take up with Dean's blunt show of affection. Or the light show in late evenings.

Bobby announced he would stay with Dean and Cas until his house was rebuilt, because damn, they had been free loading in his place long enough. Only the panic room had survived the fire. It seemed Bobby would stay with them for a while longer.

The old mother bear would never admit it, but he was glad to have an alibi to stay and mother hen around "lil' feathers" for a while longer. Between Dean, Cas and Bobby, the baby didn't seem to get any alone time at all. They all started to call her Joa instead of Jo, since the memory of Joanna Harvelle was still hurting the hunters just a bit too much.

Jody Mills stopped by a few times to see if everything was all right. When Bobby opened the door and she looked at the tidy interior, Jody just said "Nice!" but didn't pry further. The next time she came and Dean wasn't near, she finally spilled the thought that had bugged her the whole time.

"I don't mean to pry, and you don't need to tell me what's special about the baby. Just tell me, do I need to be concerned?" She asked.

Bobby pondered for a moment. "Honestly? I've got no idea." he answered. "But we have it under control."

Jody nodded and smiled. "Okay. I trust you boys've got it covered."

In between their search for a new home, Dean also looked out for any signs of Amelia Novak, but they couldn't find anything. Dean was pretty sure the demons ganked her, but she didn't stop hoping for Claire so soon. Claire took the whole thing very maturely and settled in with them pretty well. She was a nice and sweet girl for a teenager. She and Cas seemed to develop a bond of their own, and Dean could relate to that. Michael had only been in her for a few minutes, but the deep feeling of familiarity was still somewhere deep in her mind.

"Why do you still wear Dad's clothes?" Claire asked Cas once. She was cuddled up on one end of the sofa, while Cas was sitting straight on the other.

Cas looked down at his clothes curiously, before turning back to Claire.

"I felt obligated to tend and respect all things I took with James Novak. I feel it's my duty."

Claire giggled at that. "It's just clothes, silly!" she laughed, poking Cas in the side with her toes. "You don't need to keep them. Dad wouldn't mind."

Castiel looked down at himself, contemplating his clothes again.

Claire smiled at him, and cuddled up more against the sofa.

"You are cold." Cas observed.

"A bit." Claire admitted.

Castiel suddenly stood up and took off the trench coat. Claire's eyes followed him curiously as he stepped over to her and draped the coat around her like a blanket.

"Keep it." Cas said gently.

Claire stared straight in his eyes for a moment before she lowered them and spoke.

"Dad loved this coat." she murmured. "But mom hated it."

A little smile spread on her face as she looked up at him again. "Thanks, Cas."

Cas only smiled back, before he sat down again on his side, slowly and thoughtfully loosening his tie and taking it off.

Dean watched from the doorway to the kitchen, where she stood in front of the fridge and fed a bottle to Joa. She jumped a little as Bobby's hand landed on her shoulder.

"Girl needs a family if we don't find her mom." he pondered, quietly enough that Claire couldn't hear it.

"Yeah. Best one that has some hunting background but stopped." Dean agreed. "You know somebody, Bobby?"

"Yeah, I do." Bobby said, looking pointedly up at Dean.

Dean stared for a moment before she got it.

"What, us?" she exclaimed incredulously.

"Yeah, you."

"But, that would be weird! Cas is wearing her daddy, for fuck's sake!"

"Didn't I tell you to stop cussing?" Bobby griped and smacked his hand up the back of Dean's head lightly. Dean flinched away, but the impact didn't really hurt. Joa was a good shield against attacks. Bobby nodded in the direction of the sofa. "Does she look like she's looking at her dad?" he asked.

Bobby had a point there. It had been eerie how obvious Cas had been Cas while in Claire's body. It had been the same with Jimmy not being Cas.

"But me and Cas still would be weird for her!" Dean insisted anyway.

"Didn't seem to bother her the last few days."

There was a pause in the conversation. Dean was looking at Claire and Cas again. Claire had given up her place on the other end of the sofa and was now cuddling against Cas, using the trench coat as a blanket. Cas didn't seem to mind. He didn't reciprocate, but this was still Cas. He wasn't much into touching anyone besides Dean. Besides, he probably didn't know how to respond correctly to this situation.

"Girl has been through a lot." Bobby murmured. "She needs someone she can trust."

"I guess you're right." Dean admitted. It was probably thanks to Cas just being there that the girl didn't freak out as much as she could have. Dean couldn't really grasp the depth of the bond the two seemed to have, but she had been Michael's vessel for only for a short time. Cas had been in Claire for days. Two times, even. Dean suddenly realized that she didn't even mind. Cas needed some friends on earth, he had nobody here besides the Winchesters.

* * *

From that point on, an era began that Dean would soon call trench coat 2.0. Claire didn't wear it around the house like Cas had, but she always wore it when outside. Cas' clothing behavior also suddenly changed dramatically. He shed off Jimmy's old suit and tie like a snake would shed the old skin and started wearing Dean's old shirts and pants without even asking for permission. The only thing he kept wearing was the white dress shirt. Dean had bugged Cas about his clothes for ages without any effect, and she just didn't get how Claire could trigger such a dramatic change in one day. When Dean finally asked Cas about it, all he said was:

"I'm not Jimmy Novak."

Dean wasn't any wiser.

Anyway, Dean liked the change more than he would ever admit to anyone. Since Cas seemed to like the dress shirt, Dean secretly looked at the size and went to get some button down shirts for Cas. And no, she totally didn't pick some of light blue shirts because they would match Cas' eyes awesomely. Don't let Sam tell you that. Cas seemed to appreciate it and took to wearing the shirts almost immediately. When Sam first saw Cas with the new clothes, he smirked knowingly at Dean, but thankfully, he didn't say anything.

* * *

It didn't take Dean and Cas long to find a house they liked and settle all legal things. Dean insisted on taking care of those things in the old-fashioned no-mojo way. Their new place was an old, wooden two-story house, only a few minutes from Bobby's junkyard, with the Impala and hidden behind trees. The house couldn't have been seen from the street, and that had been one of the main reasons to choose it.

It had three bedrooms upstairs, one for Dean and Cas, one for the baby and one for whoever in the family might need to spend a few days with them. Currently, Sam and Gabe were occupying it. Bobby slept on a makeshift bed in the living room, while Claire called the sofa her bed.

Rhythm settled in pretty quickly. Bobby's carpet was, for now, rolled out on the living room floor. They all looked pretty dumbfounded as all of Bobby's books appeared magically stacked on the carpet as they rolled it out. Gabriel just laughed at their surprised expressions.

Dean resolved the Claire question quickly by just telling her she could stay with them until they found her mom. Dean didn't even add an if, but Claire seemed to get it and nodded thankfully. Bobby pulled a few contacts, and soon Dean and Cas were the legal guardians with all the papers, and Claire was enlisted in the local high school. Dean was still keeping an eye out for Amelia though. Claire surprised Dean when she asked to help with the research, and Dean showed her how.

Bobby spent most of his time working on his house, and Sam went with him often to help. Dean offered to help too, but Bobby just scolded her to stay with her baby.

Dean slowly got the odd feeling of being a soccer mom as she prepared supper for the hard working men that would come home soon. Bobby and Sam came back home sooner than usual and Sam plunked down in the corner seating unit, dropping his laptop on the table and starting to search for housing options. Bobby predictably went right to check on Joa.

"Hey, Sam, you know it's okay if you stay with us?" Dean asked, and she meant it. Sam could stay in her house all his life if he wanted to, she would be glad.

"No, it's fine." Sam insisted. "Cas and you need a place of your own. We've lived out of each other's pockets long enough. I'll stay close."

Gabriel appeared next to Sam and grinned at him. "At least, now you don't know if it's the baby or those two doing the dirty deed when the lights start going crazy!"

"Yeah, that." Sam sighed.

Dean turned back to her supper preps to hide the slight flush of embarrassment. She had totally managed to forget that little issue on purpose, and she briefly wondered how long it would take Claire to figure it out. And if Claire would freak out completely. She was just a teenager after all. And Cas was still wearing her daddy. It wasn't like Dean was still uncomfortable about showing her affection to Cas any longer, everyone knew anyway - turning into a girl to have a baby pretty much shattered all claims of not being totally whipped - but practically screaming around the house I'm having sex right now! was something else entirely.

"Shut your trap, Gabriel!" Dean barked.

Gabriel just laughed and leaned over to Sam, who showed him possible houses nearby on the screen. Hidden below the table, Gabriel's hand sneaked to the inside of Sam's thigh, rubbing slow circles there. Sam just stopped shortly before continuing on as if nothing had happened. Inside Sam's head, the wheels started turning. He was just discussing their new place with Gabe. And they had never even discussed where they stood with each other. Sure, it was pretty obvious they were a couple, but Sam couldn't tell if they were going in the same direction as Dean and Cas. Gabe just popped in and out as he liked, sometimes gone for days without warning Sam up front. Sam knew it didn't mean Gabe didn't care about him enough. Gabe just had a very different perception of time. A few days, or even weeks, were nothing to him. Sometimes he told Sam where he went, but sometimes not.

Sam was intimidated by the idea of going in the same direction as Dean and Cas. Settling down with Gabriel. Sure, his time with Gabe was awesome. But the totally in love until the earth dies down kind of relationship Dean and Cas had was something else. And it seemed so far away. They hadn't even shared the three big words yet. Sam was still too afraid of how Gabe might react, and Gabe obviously wasn't the type for big commitments. Sam didn't blame him. He wondered if Gabe would also turn him into a girl at one point. Anyway, he continued discussing the pros and cons of housing options.

Just as if on cue to demonstrate to Sam, Cas strode into the kitchen, wrapped his arms around Dean from behind and pressed a kiss on her neck.

"Babe, I'm cooking!" Dean laughed and turned around in his arms to face him. Cas' hands dropped while she was shifting, firmly landing on her ass as if they belonged there. Which they did. Dean wasn't bothered by Sam and Gabe's presence in the slightest bit as she kissed Cas on his lips.

"Later, okay?" she smiled and winked at him as she removed his hands from her and turned back to cooking again.

"I really need a place." Sam groaned, deliberately not looking at the two. Cas had never been one who understood the need for privacy, and Dean seemed to have completely shed off all of her homophobic issues. Or her being-with-a-man issues, since she wasn't exactly gay right now. She was being bluntly obvious most of the time.

Cas sighed and dropped on the bench next to Gabriel, and he didn't even bother to suppress the disappointed pout as he kept his eyes firmly on Dean. Dean chuckled, chopped more carrots and winked at him once more.

Yeah, it was really hard not to notice any of their behavior. Sam looked up again, his eyes on Dean as something occurred to him.

"Hey Dean, don't you want to be turned back soon?" he asked. Dean stopped mid-cutting.

"I... don't know." she stuttered, and the blush was painfully obvious, as it crawled up her neck to her ears, even when Sam couldn't see her face right now.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Sam asked incredulously. "You like being a woman?"

"No, Sam, that's not it!" Dean exclaimed immediately, turning now to face him.

"No way I want to stay like this. It's not so bad, but up here, I'm still a dude." she explained, tapping at her head. And wow, that's something neither of them ever expected Dean to say.

"So, what's the issue then?" Sam prompted further.

Dean didn't say anything for a moment. This was so typical. Sam looked his brother up and down, trying to figure her out, as his gaze set on her boobs.

"Oh, you want to nurse Joa!" he exclaimed, delighted by that idea.

"No, dumbass." Dean growled. "There's enough good baby food for newborns out there. But... I don't know if Joa would recognize me if I'm suddenly a dude."

Oh. Sam hadn't thought about that before.

"Don't think that's an issue." Gabe joined in. "She seems to feel things a bit like we do."

"Oh." Dean said. She leaned against the counter, food forgotten. She glanced at Cas, and they were starting one of their silent stare-talks. Knowing this could take some time, Sam concentrated on his computer until Dean spoke up.

"Okay Gabe, turn me back."

"Now?" Gabriel asked, raising a brow.

"Damn right, now." Dean confirmed.

"Don't you two want to work on another baby first?" Gabe asked, a teasing twinkle in his eyes.

"I said, turn me back right now!" Dean growled, glaring at Gabriel.

"Okay." Gabe said, raised his hand theatrically and clicked his fingers.

Dean was Dean again. Tall, dark, and most definitely male.

"Shit Gabe, couldn't you take care of my clothes?" Dean complained, looking down at himself in terror. The sight of his brother, now really a brother again, with a bra under his way too small shirt and painfully tight looking girl's pants was just too comical and Sam had to laugh out loud.

"Bitch!" Dean cursed.

"You want me to mess around your most precious parts? Again?" Gabe grinned, wiggling his brows.

If a glare could kill an archangel, Gabriel would be scorched right where he sat. Anyone lesser would be scared to death, but Gabe just leaned back and smirked some more.

A moment later, Dean's eyes found Cas and a mischievous, hungry smile spread on his lips.

"Hey Cas." he announced and purposefully strolled over to Cas, fixing him with that look. Cas looked up at him, eyes wide in anticipation, a slight flush spreading on his cheeks already. Dean leaned over to Cas' ear and growled into it lowly.

"You know what I'm gonna do now, Cas? I'm gonna fuck you so thoroughly you won't be able to walk straight for days."

"TMI, Dean, TMI!" Sam cried out in terror, throwing up his hands to cover his ears while Gabe next to him had a laughing fit so hard he had to hold his belly. Cas eyes had gotten wider with every word Dean said and a smile spread on his face. Dean chuckled low and dirty, took Cas hand, and dragged him up from the bench and out of the kitchen.

A moment later, Bobby entered the kitchen.

"What's all the yelling about?" he asked. "You idjits nearly woke Joa."

"You don't wanna know." Sam said.

Bobby looked at the shell-shocked expression on Sam's face, at Gabe wiping tears of laughter from his eyes and the abandoned work space and pondered "I guess you're right." before taking over kitchen duties.

* * *

Dean didn't let go of Cas for one moment as he dragged him up the stairs and into their bedroom, slamming the door shut behind them. Not able to wait one second longer, he shoved Cas against the nearest wall and pressed against him, covering Cas with the whole length of his body and devouring his mouth while he fisted his hand in Cas hair. Cas' lips opened immediately under Dean's assaults, and Dean didn't wait to take the invitation and press his tongue into the angels mouth, greedily devouring the familiar territory.

Dean pulled back a bit to look at Cas. The sight was beautiful. His eyes were blown with lust, his lips parted slightly and inviting and the blush on his cheeks was deepening. Dean smiled and moved in again, savoring those pink, plush lips between his own. The kiss was sloppy, greedy and deep.

"Fuck." Dean muttered as he pulled back again, because his pants were way too tight, hurting his aching cock. He also still had the stupid bra on under his shirt and he had to get all that off right now. Dean first ripped off shirt and bra, not bothering about tearing them. He would never need them ever again. Cas, meanwhile, already took care of his button and zipper, and Dean couldn't hold back a relieved sigh as Cas shoved down the pants. Cas smiled as he looked down at Dean and Dean followed his gaze. The little lace panties tried and failed epically to conceal his growing male parts. Dean chuckled about it, and this last little bit of girly clothing was also discarded fast. Dean slung his arms around Cas, pressing him close once more as he clashed their mouths together greedily. Cas didn't seem to be more patient than Dean if the hand trailing down and groping Dean's ass was anything to go by.

The onslaught on Cas' mouth was broken once more as Dean decided Cas was still wearing way too much while he stood there naked. Cas made a little disappointed noise as Dean drew back again. Dean loved all those little noises that Cas always made. Cas was totally honest and open about his body's responses and Dean really appreciated it. Dean didn't wait a beat and started popping the shirt buttons open, shushing Cas' protests effectively by kissing and biting down on Cas neck. It wasn't the tender and loving caress that some of their times together were. It was wild and greedy biting and devouring of skin.

"Dean" Cas rasped out, his voice dipping into an even deeper register as it always did when they were like this. It sounded as needy as Dean felt. Dean chuckled against his skin, sucking his way down deliberately, his fingers trailing down Cas' flanks and digging into his skin. He finally dipped down low enough and played a bit with Cas' waistband, licking and sucking a bit on the skin there while he hooked his fingers into the loops of the jeans and pulling them down slightly to expose more skin. It was almost comical how big Dean's pants were on Cas. He could almost pull them down from Cas' slender form without opening the buttons.

"Stop teasing." Cas ordered, staring down at Dean intensely. He bucked his hips forward as if Dean needed the hint.

"Woah there, easy tiger!" Dean grinned, steadying Cas' hips with his hands. As much as he loved teasing Cas, today Cas wasn't the only one who was a little bit impatient. A man had his needs. Dean flipped the buttons of Cas' pants open, dragging them down with his underwear. Cas leaned back against the wall and sucked in a sharp breath as Dean took his cock into his mouth. Dean knew exactly how to work on Cas to leave him as a squirming, panting bundle, and he used every bit of this knowledge wickedly against Cas. Cas was soon gasping for air he didn't need, involuntary little sounds escaping his pretty mouth, achingly hard and fisting his hands into Deans hair to find something to hold onto. Dean reached up with one hand, and Cas knew exactly what to do with it, taking Dean's fingers into his mouth and coating them in saliva thoroughly.

It was almost weird how familiar all of this was, like a well-known ritual, despite having been almost a full year since they did it like this the last time. Sure, he had given Cas blowjobs, but it was still a bit different. Cas released Dean's fingers after pressing a last kiss onto each of them. Dean immediately pressed the first finger against Cas' opening, pushing in carefully. In Dean's opinion, Cas had been enjoying himself way too much and spent too much time on Dean's fingers. Now was time for payback, and Dean shoved the finger in fully. Not fiercely enough to hurt Cas, just impatiently. Cas gasped as he tried to steady himself, but Dean left him no chance, distracting him from the intrusion by scraping his teeth ever so slightly over the head of Cas' cock. Cas' groan was deep, breathy and absolutely beautiful, going straight down to Dean's own cock.

Cas could barely hold himself on his feet while Dean continued his ministrations, working first one, then two fingers into Cas, spreading him and scissoring against his prostate. He was moaning and gasping without shame and Dean held him, steadying his hips with his free hand. When Dean decided that he had prepared Cas enough, he removed his fingers, stood up and spun Cas around.

"Fuck." Dean panted. He was pressing his dick against Cas' backside and he could feel the angel shudder at the contact. Where was the goddamn lube? Dean panicked silently. What he really didn't need right now was a frantic search for the bottle that still had to be somewhere. There wasn't a greater turn-off than that. He still didn't let go of Cas, but searched the room with his eyes, trying to remember where they had packed it.

"Dean."

Dean was looking back at Cas, right into those goddamn blue eyes. Cas eyes were dark, blown apart and filled with intense desire. He was offering a bottle to Dean.

"Jesus fuckin' Christ bless angel mojo." Dean said and took the bottle.

"Dean." Cas repeated, and it sounded seriously pissed. Oh yeah, the thing about blasphemy and sex. Dean still took immense pleasure in pissing off his angel like that. Pissed Cas was just too damn hot to resist.

"Sorry babe." Dean chuckled, not apologetic at all, and pressed a kiss onto Cas neck while applying the lube on himself.

He pushed into Cas without warning. Cas groaned out loud, but Dean knew Cas' reactions well enough to know he hadn't hurt the angel. Not in a bad way, anyway. This felt so perfect. After almost a whole year bottoming, it was pure bliss to fuck Cas again. He gave his angel a moment to adjust, fully enjoying Cas' tight heat around him. Dean leaned forward, pressing little kisses against Cas' shoulder blades and slightly scraping the skin with his teeth, inhaling a lungful of Cas' unique, intoxicating scent. At the same time, the movement pressed him deeper into Cas.

"Dean" Cas gasped. He never said much else. Always a litany of Dean, Dean, Dean in his husky bedroom voice. It was needy this time, and Dean was happy enough to start moving and give them both what they needed. Almost instantly, he found the right angle and pushed against Cas' secret button. The response came in a long, deep moan.

The pace picked up quickly, both of them needy and wanting this, right here, right now. Cas had to steady himself with both hands against the wall to prevent from being driven into it by Dean's powerful thrusts. Soon, Cas was breathing in strangled gasps while Dean couldn't control the sounds that slipped from his own lips. Cas pushed back against Dean as he finally came with Dean's name on his lips, spilling himself all over the wall and coating them both in his white light. Dean had to press his eyes shut again. It was enough to feel Cas' tight hole clenching around him to send Dean over the edge as well.

They stood there for a moment. Dean wrapped both arms around Cas to steady the angel. Cas leaned back and rested against him like a boneless bundle of limbs and looked thoroughly fucked, a lazy smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Dean would never tire of seeing him like this, knowing this was his doing. The mighty being had given up all control to him, a mere little human.

"Bed." Dean decided and Cas nodded against him. Cas gasped, surprised, when Dean picked him up and carried him over to the bed. Dean knew that Cas was still much stronger, and probably not even half as exhausted as he looked, but Dean enjoyed his old skin and testosterone filled veins way too much not to show off a bit of manly strength.

They settled on the bed and Dean closed Cas in his arms.

"You okay there, babe?" Dean asked, just to make sure. It had been a hard ride.

"Yes." Cas hummed contently against his skin. There was no need to point out that Dean couldn't really hurt him. They stayed like this for a moment, cooling down and simply enjoying listening to each other's heartbeats. Cas turned in the embrace so that his side was resting against Dean and he could look up into Dean's eyes. His slender fingers trailed lightly over Dean's belly.

"You still have a little bit of baby fat." Cas stated, the smile on his face equal parts awed and amused.

Dean snorted, but he couldn't manage to be angry at the comment, even when his manly brain told him he should. "That's not gonna stay there long."

Cas finally scrambled out of Dean's embrace.

"Hey, where you think you're going?" Dean protested.

Cas smiled at him, one of his rare really open and happy smiles. "I'll be right back. Get dressed in the meantime?"

"... the fuck?" Dean asked, but Cas was already mojoing himself clean and slipping on Dean's pants and the shirt he had been wearing before, and ignored Dean. He didn't bother with socks and moved to clean the stain on the wall. When Cas slipped out of the room, still with bare feet, Dean finally managed to get up and went over to his drawers.

Oh yeah, that. His drawers were still filled with lingerie. Amused, he closed them again and moved to Cas' drawers that were filled with his old stuff.

It felt so fucking good to be back in his real skin. He had taken a quick shower and was now looking at himself in the bathroom mirror. It was odd. He felt like looking into the same face as before. The lines were a bit harder, the skin rougher, but he couldn't really place a finger on what made him look manly again. Thing was, he had felt really comfortable as a woman at the end, but it wasn't the same. This was him, even when it was hard to pinpoint the differences. He absently rubbed over his cheek, which was still smooth, but he could feel the stubble starting to grow again.

Cas was already waiting on the bed, leaning against the headboard and holding Joanna in his arms when Dean came out of the shower, toweling his hair dry.

"Good thinking, Cas." Dean smiled.

Dean sat back on the bed next to Cas and closed his family in his arms.

"Joanna Maria Winchester, meet your father." Cas announced solemnly.

Dean reached over to caress the little baby's cheek, but snorted amusedly at Cas.

"I'm Dad, not Father!"

"She will call us both Dad?" Cas inquired, turning his head up to look at Dean curiously and tilting it at the same time. Everyone had called Cas Dad all the last days. Dean had been Mom.

Dean quirked a brow and thought about that for a moment.

"I'm Dad, you're Pa. Okay?" he prompted.

Cas nodded.

"Okay." Dean said, and pressed Cas even closer against himself, nuzzling his nose into Cas' ruffled bed hair. Cas relaxed against him, resting his head on Dean's shoulder.

"You know, Dean, it could stay like this." Cas murmured, looking down at Joanna. Dean knew what Cas meant. One of their biggest fears was all the problems that could arise with Joa's differentness, but so far, it had been pretty easy to handle. Yeah sure, it hurt like a bitch when she cried, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as Cas' true voice. Dean wasn't affected as much as the others. It only hurt him a little. Cas said he shared a special connection to her. The others simply started wearing earplugs when Joa was around and started to get grumpy. Also, Joa's grace didn't burn their eyes out. They could look at her without any problems, aside from the occasional blinking from the brightness. And she only shone from time to time. Dean realized he was confident that they could handle it without too much hassle. Maybe, they could take her even out amongst other humans with no problems.

"When's life ever easy for us, Cas." Dean sighed anyway. "You know, her wings are awesome and all, but Bobby's right. They're gonna be one hell of a problem. I want her to grow up as normal as possible."

"It will not be easy." Cas confirmed. "But it might not be as hard as you fear, Dean. Have faith."

Dean nodded, his eyes full of fondness as he looked down at the little adorable bundle in Cas' arms. He just couldn't feel bad when he was looking at his little family. Joa was tiny, she even looked tiny in Cas' thinner arms, but she was a healthy bundle of light and glory.

"We'll manage. We always do." he said.

Cas smiled up at Dean. "Yes, we do."

* * * Fin * * *


End file.
